Daughter of the Stars
by The Last Moongazer
Summary: Dreamkit is unique. When she is shunned from the Clans, StarClan takes her in. She spends a happy kithood in the stars, but something is unfolding behind her back that even StarClan doesn't suspect. Now Dreamkit faces a special destiny, a life-changing choice - and a treachery that could unravel the Clans before her very eyes.
1. The Decision

**Hi, this is Moongazer.** **This is my first story. I'm still learning how to use my FanFiction account, so please be tolerant of my mistakes. I'm hoping that I'll get a whole bunch of reviews-constructive criticism welcome! You have no idea how much it means to me if people take a couple of minutes to review and tell me what they think of my writing. I need to know how I'm doing. :)**

**I'll try to post allegiances within the next couple chapters-but in this one, it's not really necessary. Not too many characters...yet...**

**Anyway, on with the story. Remember to review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Warriors. I own only my characters and the plotline. Any similarities to other characters or plots are purely unintentional.**

**P.S. I haven't posted any new chapters just yet, but I took some advice and went back to fix this a bit. Thank you, beatbeatbeat, for your review! I hope you find that my corrections improve it a little. Just so you know, Star and Moon (later in the chapter) are my own invention. I'm planning to make a whole story and stuff about that-hopefully I can post it soon.**

* * *

The full moon shone brightly in the sky, bathing the lake in soft light, and illuminating a tiny figure at the edge of the island, next to an ancient tree bridge.

It was a kitten; a small one, with fluffy silver fur, tottering along on unsteady paws.

Under the watchful gaze of the stars, she ambled along, step by slow step, until she tumbled out of the trees into a large clearing, filled with many, many different cats.

Everyone went silent, the friendly purrs and meows halting abruptly. A bracken-colored tom stood up and wove his way through the crowd toward the kit, who seemed to shrink into the ground as she gazed up at him with large violet eyes.

"She's a freak!" the tom yowled, stepping back from the kit. "That…that _thing_ will destroy us all!"

"Enough, Treeclaw. It is only a kit." A dappled tortoiseshell meowed, leaping off her perch in the tree in the middle of the clearing to look at the kit curiously.

A small brown tom hissed. "A kit that no cat will want! It has violet eyes! When in all the history of the Clans has any cat ever had eyes like that? That little freak of nature won't come into Windclan without meeting my claws."

Several cats in the crowd yowled their approval.

"Stop!" shouted a blue-gray cat from her place in the tree branches. "The leaders will now have a meeting to decide the fate of the kit." She huddled together with the other cats on the tree, and they began to meow urgently, fighting to be heard.

Whispers of "It's just a kit. It didn't do anything." were heard everywhere, and contradicting arguments of "It has violet eyes! It's a sign that it will destroy us!" were hissed back.

The leaders were taking a long time to reach an agreement. The mass of cats in the clearing was growing agitated. Some of the more hostile young cats had even made a game of hissing and spitting at the poor terrified silver kitten.

Finally, as the moon started to drift down in the sky, a decision was made. A brown and white spotted tom stepped forward and let out a loud yowl. All the frenzied babbling ceased immediately, and many pairs of eyes gazed anxiously at the four cats on the tree.

"We have agreed," said the brown and white tom, sounding tired, "that the kit will not join any of the clans."

Excited whispers broke out. Up on the tree, the tortoiseshell, Cherrystar, looked smug, the blue-gray cat Streamstar looked indignant, and the Windclan leader Harestar simply huddled on the tree, eyes drooping.

A pretty gray she cat stood up and called out, "It's only a kit, for Starclan's sake! How can you stand this injustice, Pebblestar?"

A group of cats behind her loudly caterwauled their support.

Pebblestar shook his head "The decision is made, Featherheart. Keeping the kit will only lead to a war between all the clans. We can't risk that for the sake of one kit. Starclan knows we don't need a war now."

Featherheart bowed her head and sat back down, tail flicking in discontent.

"This Gathering is over!" Cherrystar yowled, looking self-important. "Shadowclan is going back home!"

"We might as well too. Let's go, Thunderclan." Pebblestar sighed, leaping down from the tree and leading his clan away.

Soon Harestar and Windclan left, then Riverclan left with Streamstar, who gave the kit a last regretful look before turning away and heading back to her territory.

All was calm and quiet-until the stars began to move.

They swirled down from the sky, pouring starlight into the clearing, and changing shape until the clearing was packed with starry cat forms, gathered around the silver kit, now fast asleep.

"What will we do now?" a light gray tabby meowed anxiously. "The Clans wouldn't take her in!"

A black and white tom padded over and sat next to her. "We will have to take special measures, Silverstream."

"What special measures?" Silverstream fretted. "There's nothing we can do, but you know how important she is to the future of the Clans, Tallstar. We _all_ know how important she is!"

A bright ginger tom stood up. "That's where you're wrong, Silverstream. There is something we can do. It's never been done, but we will do it."

Many ears pricked in the tom's direction.

"We will take her in and raise her."

* * *

The clearing was so silent, the cats could have heard a feather drop.

A blue-gray she cat was the first to recover. She stood up, facing the ginger tom, and mewed quietly, "Explain your idea, Firestar."

Firestar was getting excited. "Don't you see, Bluestar? It'll work out perfectly! We can use the powers of Starclan and perform the ceremony, and then a Starclan cat will raise her like a normal kit, and she'll be apprenticed when she's six moons old, and-"

Silverstream shook her head and sighed. "Calm down, Firestar! You know she won't be with us forever-she'll have to return to the clans one day. And her destiny! She is fated to save the clans, remember?"

Firestar nodded. "I know. But we can't help her do that. All we can do is help her grow up, give her survival skills, and make sure she can take care of herself."

Murmurs of assent started spreading among the cats in the clearing, growing louder and louder until the meows of the crowd swelled into a single voice that called out, "We will do this."

Bluestar purred slightly. "Good. Now, who will be a mother to this kit?"

A clear, sweet voice rang out, "My mate and I will."

The crowd of cats parted to reveal a large cream-colored tom and a beautiful black-and-white spotted she-cat, padding forward to meet the other cats at the center of the clearing.

"I will raise her," the she-cat mewed, "and I will call her Dreamkit. My mate, Moon, will be as much her father as I, Star, will be her mother. Are there any who oppose my decision?"

There was silence.

Firestar broke it. "Very well. Star and Moon are now Dreamkit's mother and father in Starclan. I will perform the ceremony for the kit. Wake her up, please."

Firestar leaped onto the branches of the great tree in the center of the clearing while Star gently nosed the tiny kit awake and soothed her with gentle licks as the ceremony began.

"I, Firestar, former leader of Thunderclan, call all of Starclan to look down at this kit." Firestar meowed. "We have acknowledged that she is the future savior of the Clans, and for that reason, we will take her in. She will be raised as a Clan cat and taught all the skills we may be able to give her. She is a unique kit, for no living kit has ever been raised by Starclan before. She is one of a kind, savior of the Clans, daughter of the stars. From this moment on, she will be known as Dreamkit, in honor of her uniqueness and her destiny."

Moon started to chant. "Dreamkit! Dreamkit! Dreamkit! Dreamkit!"

Star, Silverstream, Bluestar, and Firestar took up the chant. "Dreamkit! Dreamkit! Dreamkit! Dreamkit!"

Soon, the entire Gathering island rang with cheers as all of Starclan called out the name of the small silver kit with the violet eyes, as they celebrated the new life of their future hero. "Dreamkit! Dreamkit! Dreamkit! Dreamkit!"

* * *

The chanting petered out as Starclan ascended to their home in the sky, taking Dreamkit with them. Star took the kit to her own nest under a starry honeysuckle bush, laid her down, and gently groomed her, purring softly.

As Dreamkit fell asleep to the rhythmic strokes of Star's tongue on her back, she heard a soft voice in her ears. _"Welcome, Dreamkit, daughter of the stars."_

And so Dreamkit's life in the stars began.

* * *

**Right. So, a couple of answers for questions on the story.**

**One, Dreamkit is not hated by all, but by a several more powerful cats. And as the warrior code says, a leader's word is law. When the leaders decided that the kit wouldn't be taken in, no cat could without severely breaking the code and also possibly subjecting their clan to war.**

**Also, Dreamkit has unusual eyes. (I'm actually not sure if cats can _have_ violet eyes, but for the sake of the story let's leave it there.) I've read loads of Warrior books and fics where the character is not accepted because of circumstances they couldn't control, like being halfclan or having strange eye colors or whatever. So I figured, hey, why not?**

**Anyway, I'll be happy to make any corrections to the story or answer any questions that someone might have. Please review when you read-I've actually managed to improve my writing from the criticism in the first review!**

** -Moongazer**


	2. First Day in Starclan

**It's me, Moongazer again-back with the next part of the story!**

**First off, thank you so much to all the lovely people who took the time to review my story! Your encouragement really means a lot to me. I hope you'll all keep reading as I post more chapters. Please, please please, keep reviewing!**

**I hope I've updated fast enough for you all. I'll try to post regularly, but my schedule is hectic-so no guarantees.**

**I've put some allegiances at the bottom of this. I know there aren't too many cats for the Clans, but I'm planning to try to add a few cats every time I write a new chapter, and then post the updated allegiances every two chapters or so. Sound good? :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Warriors. I do not own characters suggested by other authors. (Mossfire, suggested by mossfire16) I own only my own characters and plotline.**

**Now, on with the story!**

* * *

Dreamkit heard a sound. It was a kind of muffled rumble. There was a moment before she realized it was coming from her. She was _starving._

She cautiously cracked open one violet eye to look around. She could see a wall of sleek black-and-white fur in front of her.

Dreamkit opened both eyes fully. The wall of fur became a pretty she-cat, with deep blue eyes.

"About time you woke up." the she-cat purred. "I thought you would be too hungry to sleep by now."

Dreamkit tilted her head. "Where am I? What's my name? Who are you?" she asked in a trembling little mew.

"You are in your new home, Starclan, and your name is Dreamkit. And my name is Star. I will be your new mother. Don't you remember last night?"

Dreamkit nodded slowly. "Well…I guess so, but I thought it was a-wait, you said you're my mother?"

Star sighed. "It's complicated, little one. I am not your birth mother, but I will be the one to raise you."

Star could almost see the thoughts flashing around Dreamkit's mind. She hoped fervently that Dreamkit wouldn't try to run off and find her birth mother or do something equally crazy. Honestly, Star wanted to be able to raise this kit-something she had never been able to do while she was alive.

Another quiet rumble broke the silence in the den. Dreamkit gazed up at Star sheepishly. "Oops. I guess I'm hungry."

Star laughed quietly. "In that case, here you go. Have you ever tasted mouse?"

Dreamkit examined the small brown rodent curiously. "Only once. Is this for me?"

"Of course it is." Star meowed. "Who else would it be for?"

Dreamkit had stopped listening after Star's first two words and instead started tearing hungrily into the mouse. Before Star could blink, the mouse was gone, and Dreamkit had scraps of her meal all over her face.

"Well, someone was hungry." Star purred, licking Dreamkit's muzzle repeatedly. "You've got mouse all over you."

"Mmmph." Dreamkit wriggled away from Star's tongue. "Can I go outside?"

Star nodded. "Go ahead. I'm sure the other kits will be glad to play with you."

"Thanks!" Dreamkit squealed, bouncing out of the bush and into the sunshine.

* * *

"Wow…" Dreamkit whispered, gazing out over Starclan's territory from the top of the hill where Star's den was. "It's beautiful!"

And it was. Vast land stretched out before her, gentle hills blanketed with flowing green grass, thick, prey-filled forest, majestic tall pine trees, lush ferns and bushes bordering clear bubbling streams. Cats roamed everywhere, playing and tumbling on open spaces, hunting in the bushes, sharing tongues in the bright light that bathed the entire area.

And of course, everything and every cat glittered with stars.

Dreamkit scrambled down the side of the hill toward a group of starry kits tussling near the bottom. She had to be careful where she put her paws, or she would slip and fall all the way down.

Soon she managed to land at the bottom next to the kits. They all stopped their game and stared at her. Dreamkit stared back as boldly as she could.

"Hi," she mewed. "Can I play with you?"

A gray tom-kit purred in delight. "Sure you can play. We need one more Dark Forest warrior to make the game even. I'm Creekkit, by the way."

"I'm Leafkit," a tabby she-kit mewed shyly, "and this is Blazekit." She gestured towards a golden tabby tom-kit. "You're playing on our side, Dreamkit."

"Oh, you're Dreamkit, are you?" a brown kit exclaimed. "We've heard a whole lot about you, being the sav-" He was cut off by a calico she-kit, who slapped her tail across his mouth.

"You mousebrain, Brownkit!" she hissed. "You know that it's not our place to tell her!"

Brownkit spat out the other kit's tail and glanced sheepishly at Dreamkit.

"Oops," he muttered. "Sorry, Dreamkit."

Dreamkit was intrigued. What had he been about to tell her? Why had the other kit stopped him? What were they hiding?

Her mind was so full with questions, she almost didn't notice the calico kit introduce herself as Glowkit and tell her to go to her place next to Leafkit and Blazekit.

Dreamkit scampered to her position, confusion and curiosity still whirling around her mind-until a playful yowl drove all other thoughts away.

"I, Creekstar of Starclan, order the Dark Forest away from the Clans!" Creekkit caterwauled happily, leaping on top of Leafkit.

"We will never submit!" Leafkit squealed. "Dark Forest, attack!"

Dreamkit mock-growled as she pounced on Glowkit. "Take that, Glowkit!"

"You will never defeat Starclan!" Glowkit giggled, batting at Dreamkit's ears with her paws.

Dreamkit fake-hissed and bowled Glowkit over. The two tumbled over and over in their mock-fight, while the other four kits were wrapped up in their own big tussle.

"Dreamkit! Where are you, Dreamkit?" came Star's voice from the hill.

Dreamkit abandoned her game and trotted up to the base of the hill.

"I'm down here, Star!" she called. "Did you need me?"

Star looked down at Dreamkit and had to stifle a purr of amusement. Dreamkit's fur was ruffled and dusty. Clumps were sticking up all over her head and flanks, and her face looked nearly brown from all the dirt in it.

"Never mind me needing you!" she chuckled. "_You_ need a good wash!"

Dreamkit pouted. "But I was in the middle of a game!"

"Moon promised he'd take you to explore the entire territory later." Star meowed. "But you can only go if you wash and take a nap, because you're bound to get tired."

"Okay." Dreamkit mewed. She turned to the other kits, who were watching the exchange with impatient expressions. "Bye, guys. I'll play with you later."

"See you later, Dreamkit," the other kits chorused, as Dreamkit scampered up to meet Star in her den.

Dreamkit waved her tail to her new friends and padded into the den. Star was waiting with an amused look on her face. As soon as the kit stepped into the bush, Star grabbed her by the scruff, plopped her in the nest, and washed her vigorously, holding Dreamkit's tail down so she couldn't escape.

Dreamkit squirmed under Star's rough tongue. "_Star!_" she complained. "I look fine! It's just dirt!"

"No kit is running about with a filthy pelt as long as I'm around." Star mumbled through a mouthful of neck fur. "I don't care if you're alive but living in Starclan. You have got to keep your fur clean."

Dreamkit froze. "_What? I'm alive but in Starclan-does that mean Starclan is only for _dead_ cats?"_

Star finished washing Dreamkit and sat back, satisfied. The kit's silver fur was now glossy, smooth, and free of dirt.

"Come on, Dreamkit. You need a nap before Moon takes you out later." Star purred, shifting over to make space for Dreamkit to sleep.

Dreamkit crawled over in a slight daze. She had to know what Star had meant when she talked about being alive but in Starclan. She wouldn't be able to focus on anything until she had.

"Uh, Star?" Dreamkit mewed hesitantly.

Star smoothed down a tuft of fur on Dreamkit's head. "Yes, dear?"

"Are we in Starclan?"

"Yes, we are. That's why everything is covered with stars."

"Is Starclan where dead cats go?"

The rhythmic strokes of Star's tongue stopped dead.

Dreamkit peered up at Star with big violet eyes. "Is it?"

"Yes, little one, it is." Star said finally.

That one small revelation started the questions pouring out of Dreamkit.

"Does that mean that you're dead? Are Creekkit and Leafkit and everyone else dead? Am I alive? Why am I here if I'm alive? Isn't it-"

"Hush, Dreamkit." Star soothed. "Everything will be explained when you're ready. Not a moment before, and not a moment after."

Dreamkit sighed as she snuggled down next to Star, mewling pitifully, "Can't you at least tell me if I'm alive or dead?"

"You're alive, dear, and you have the potential to change the whole world, if you wish." Star whispered. "Now sleep."

Dreamkit obeyed, her conversation with Star still echoing in her ears as she drifted off.

_"You're alive…potential…change the whole world."_

* * *

**I had fun writing that chapter... :)**

**Now, for the allegiances!**

* * *

**Allegiances****:**

**Starclan:**

_Dreamkit:_ silver she-kit with violet eyes; alive but living in Starclan

_Star-_beautiful black she-cat with white spots and blue eyes

_Moon_-large cream-colored tom with amber eyes

_Bluestar-_blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

_Firestar_-handsome ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

_Silverstream_-light gray tabby she-cat

_Tallstar_-black-and-white tom with a long tail

_Mossfire_-scarred tortoiseshell she-cat

_Creekkit_-dark gray tom with light blue eyes

_Blazekit_-golden tabby tom with amber eyes

_Leafkit-_dark tabby she-kit with green eyes

_Glowkit-_calico she-kit with yellow eyes

_Brownkit_-brown tom with amber eyes

**Thunderclan:**

_Leader: _Pebblestar-white tom with brown spots

_Deputy: _Featherheart-pretty gray she-cat with amber eyes

_Medicine cat: _Flowerpetal-old brown she cat with yellow eyes.

_Apprentice:_ Berrytail-dark tabby tom

_Warriors:_

Darkpelt- gray-black tom with blue eyes

**Riverclan:**

_Leader: _Streamstar-blue-gray she cat with dark blue eyes

_Deputy: _Softwhisper-pure white she cat with green eyes

_Medicine cat_: Redfoot-reddish brown tabby tom with amber eyes

_Warriors:_

Petalheart- small golden she-cat with amber eyes

**Shadowclan:**

_Leader:_ Cherrystar- dappled tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

_Deputy: _Treeclaw- large muscular bracken-colored tom

_Medicine cat:_ Brightfern- young russet-colored she-cat with a plumy tail

_Warriors:_

Shardclaw- large gray tom with long claws

**Windclan:**

_Leader: _Harestar: elderly gray she-cat with yellow eyes

_Deputy_: Mousetooth-small but clever brown tom with pale blue eyes

_Medicine cat: _Cloudwhisker-gray tabby tom with bright amber eyes

_Apprentice:_ Breezepaw-black tom with green eyes

_Warriors:_

Springbounce- pale tabby she-cat with green eyes

* * *

**That's it for now. Remember to keep reading and reviewing!**


	3. Secrets, Guides, and Stories

**I'm back-with the next chapter of Daughter of the Stars! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far (even though the real plot is just beginning). Sorry I haven't updated sooner-I haven't gotten a chance to post yet. I'll try to update regularly, but I can't promise anything.**

**Also, please remember to review! Your encouragement gives me the motivation to write, and then you get more of the story. See? It's a win-win situation! :)**

**Anyways, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, I only own my own characters and the plotline.**

* * *

Dreamkit awoke with a start. There was a new cat in the den, one she hadn't seen before. This cat was a tortoiseshell she-cat, her pelt marked with several scars. She was saying something urgently to Star, who nodded and mewed something in a low voice, before turning back to Dreamkit.

"Oh, you're awake, Dreamkit!" Star sounded surprised.

"Who's that?" Dreamkit squeaked, peering at the newcomer curiously.

"This is Mossfire. She was a Shadowclan warrior before she came to Starclan." Star purred, giving Mossfire a friendly flick with her tail.

"Hello, little one. I've heard quite a bit about you. So, you are the first living kit in Starclan, aren't you?" Mossfire meowed, gazing at Dreamkit with burning yellow eyes.

Dreamkit puffed up with pride. "That's me!"

Mossfire let out a soft trill of laughter. "She has spirit, that one. Star, you need to hurry up if you're planning to come to the meeting."

Dreamkit bounced out of the nest and around the two she-cats' paws. "What meeting? Will you need me? Can I come?"

Star shook her head. "No, you won't be needed and you can't come. Moon should come soon to get you-his gathering should be done by now."

Dreamkit pouted. "I want to go to the Starclan meeting! Can't I see the territory another time?"

Mossfire flicked her tail impatiently towards Star.

Star kept her eyes on the whining kit in front of her. Her soft voice grew stern. "No, you cannot and will not come! This is a meeting for Starclan only. I already told you that. Regardless of whether you live in Starclan or not, you are still only a kit!"

Dreamkit's head drooped with disappointment.

Star's eyes grew soft as she bent down to lick Dreamkit's head gently. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you can't come. Moon is coming to show you the territory now; I promise you that it will be much more exciting than my meeting."

A tom's deep voice sounded outside the den. "Star! Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else right now?"

Star purred happily. "I'm leaving now. Here, take your new daughter, will you?"

Dreamkit was nudged outside into the bright light. A large, muscular cream-colored tom was sitting calmly in front of her.

"Star!" he called, a little more urgently. "You'll be late if you don't leave now!"

Mossfire twitched an ear crossly as she slid out of the den. "That's what I was telling her, but would she listen?"

Star rolled her eyes. "Let's go, Mossfire. See you later, Moon." She nuzzled Moon lovingly before racing away, Mossfire at her side. Dreamkit watched them go wistfully.

"So," Moon began, wrapping his tail around his paws. "How would you like to tour this part of Starclan?"

* * *

"The heart of Starclan territory is that way-the Starpool." Moon meowed, flicking his tail towards the trees.

Dreamkit craned her neck to try and see past the undergrowth and trees. "Why can't I go see it?"

Moon shook his head. "You are too young. You can't go until you're older. Don't even think about it," he added, seeing the rebellious gleam in Dreamkit's violet eyes. "We'll know if you're trying to sneak out."

Dreamkit sighed as she padded after Moon. She had already seen several parts of Starclan-countless ponds and streams, and the vast grassy land they called the Skyfields. Moon had told her that many of the younger cats went there to play, and she could join them if she wanted.

Soon, they reached another part of the forest.

"This is the part of the forest you're allowed to go into while you're a kit." Moon said, leading the way into the star-covered ferns. "This is Starclan's camp, I guess you could say. This is where the dens are, where the fresh-kill is piled." He purred. "The pile is really only for the benefit of all of the kits who reside here-they aren't big enough to hunt.

"Do you mean Brownkit and Glowkit and the others?" Dreamkit mewed, picturing her group of new friends.

"Yes, them." Moon answered. "They all died when they were about a moon old-like you are now. They aren't big enough to catch prey, except for maybe shrews or mice, so we catch it for them. Here we are."

Dreamkit's eyes widened. She was in a huge clearing, with sand and dirt in the middle and lush grass bordering the outside. Several tall boulders towered over the bushes and ferns spreading out from the clearing like petals from the center of a flower. Cats were trotting from bush to bush, sharing friendly licks and purrs.

Starclan really was a home.

* * *

"Why are we here, Moon?" Dreamkit complained, shaking a leaf off of her pelt as she struggled to keep up with him. They had left Starclan's camp a while ago. "I want to sit down. I'm tired."

"Come here, then," he answered, lowering himself calmly to the ground.

Dreamkit flopped down next to him, gratefully giving her aching paws a rest.

Moon suddenly grew serious. "Dreamkit, we need to talk."

The silver kitten stared at him. "Why?"

"I need to know what you remember of your birth family."

Dreamkit grew quiet. "Okay." She took a deep breath and began.

"My mama's name was Night. She used to call me 'kit'. She would never look me in the eyes, but she told me I was her only kit and my father had left her, so I was all she had." Dreamkit gazed up at Moon anxiously. He nodded encouragingly, and she continued. "I played by myself, but she used to snap at me if I got too loud. I was happy, I think. Night was the only cat I knew.

But she kept leaving me for longer and longer. She was sad or irritated all the time. I was almost always alone in the den. And she moved me around a lot, I guess. I don't really know.

Then last night, she carried me a long way, and I fell asleep. I woke up when she was crossing a big tree-bridge. She put me down under a bush and told me to walk to the middle of the island when the moon was high. She said I had to do it no matter what, so I could have a home. Then she told me to forget her, because I wasn't going to see her again." Dreamkit took a shaky breath. "And she left me. I heard a splash, but she didn't come back. I did what she told me to do-I kept walking until I got to the middle of the island, and all the big cats were hissing at me. It was scary. And-"

Moon hushed her gently. "That's all I needed to know, Dreamkit. Come on, let's get you back to the den."

* * *

It was getting dark as Moon carried Dreamkit back to the honeysuckle bush on the hill. Star was already waiting with two mice, the white spots on her pelt glowing in the faint dappled light.

"There you are," she purred. "Did you have fun?"

Dreamkit nodded sleepily, devouring a mouse as Star's tongue rasped across her back. "I saw lots of stuff," she mewled, snuggling against Star's flank.

Moon settled down against them, the stars in his pelt glittering softly. "We had a good time, didn't we, Dreamkit?"

Dreamkit didn't answer. She was already asleep.

* * *

**Such a sweet family...I really love Moon and Star and Dreamkit together. :)**

**Remember to review! All comments appreciated!**

** -Moongazer**


	4. Through the Starpool

**Here comes chapter 4! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.**

**First off, I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner. I was going to do it yesterday, but then there was other stuff that I had to do. Please keep reading the story, though-it's only just starting to get good. ;)**

**Also, I've gotten a few questions in reviews. One, if you want to know why Star and Moon don't have Clan names, visit my other story Legends of the Stars. It'll explain. And yes, Dreamkit's mom was a loner, and yes, I know who Mosskit is. I don't think she'll be in the story. And I chose Dreamkit's eyes as violet because I thought it'd be cool. I'm not going to change it to red-I don't want her to have red eyes, because it doesn't really suit her.**

**And, there is no prophecy given to the Clans about Dreamkit! They just hate her 'cause of her eyes. It's only StarClan with the prophecy, and that will come up later. They didn't send her to be a kittypet because they have to give her the skills she needs to save the Clans!**

**Sorry about that rant. It's just I felt the need to say that and clarify things. Somehow I really don't understand why everyone assumes that there even is a prophecy given to the Clans-because there isn't, at least not yet. :)**

**One last thing-please join my forum. It's called ImagineClan. I need more members! :P**

**Now, on with Chapter 4! Remember to review (I'm hoping for at ****_least_**** five on this chapter).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors…yeah, you guys know the drill.**

* * *

The sun shone down on forest and fields covered with stars. On a small hill nestled a honeysuckle bush, and a slender silver kitten lounged around in front of it.

Dreamkit was bored.

The four-moon-old kit had absolutely nothing to do. Star and Moon had some StarClan work to do. Dreamkit didn't even have the faintest clue _what _they did in their meetings, though she practically exploded with questions and curiosity every time her adopted parents came back to their den. She couldn't even play with her old friends Creekkit, Leafkit, Blazekit, Brownkit, or Glowkit anymore. They were still the size of moon-old kits, and she was much bigger than they were.

No, the only thing she could do now was go find another friend to talk to.

Sighing, she dragged herself off the ground and padded off towards the main StarClan camp.

"Hello, dear," a scarred tortoiseshell purred as Dreamkit bounded into the clearing. "Would you like to hear a story?"

"No thanks, Mossfire," Dreamkit answered, craning her neck to see if a cat her age and size was around. "Maybe another time."

"Whatever suits you. I'm still here if you need me." Mossfire meowed cheerfully, trotting through a clump of flowers and disappearing from sight.

Dreamkit kept looking for a playmate. Finally, she spotted a familiar feathery white tail poking out from under a bramble bush. Purring with amusement, she crept up to it and pounced. A startled squeak sounded from inside the den, and a white she-cat poked her head out of the bush.

"Dreamkit!" the cat mewed reproachfully. "I was in the middle of hearing a story!"

"Sorry," Dreamkit said, attempting to put on a guilty face and failing miserably. "Would you come out and talk to me, Flowerkit? Please? I'm bored, and there's no one else around."

Flowerkit slid out of the den. "Why don't you go to talk to Breezeheart or someone?"

Dreamkit made a face. "I don't want to talk to her, I want to talk to you. Come on, Flowerkit. Please?"

The white she-cat rolled her eyes. "Go have an adventure or something, and tell me about it when you get back." She turned around and vanished back into the den.

Dreamkit didn't notice. A plan had started forming in her mind.

* * *

Dreamkit slunk out of the StarClan camp, as silently and lightly as she could. No cat was watching her-they were too busy chatting, or grooming, or eating.

She trotted away from the forest and over the Skyfields, plotting the entire time. She knew there was only one part of StarClan she hadn't been able to see yet-the deep forest. And in that section of the forest was what Dreamkit wanted to see most-the Starpool.

Dreamkit paused outside the deep forest, a flicker of doubt in her mind. Would she get in trouble for sneaking to the Starpool? Star had made it very clear-she was not to go to the deep forest until she was apprenticed, at the very least.

Dreamkit shrugged away her doubts as she tentatively padded into the trees. She was special, wasn't she? Why shouldn't she be allowed to see the Starpool?

The small kitten stuck to the shadows, creeping from one bush to the next, as starry cats trotted by, chatting happily, not even realizing that Dreamkit was there. At one point, Dreamkit saw Star, who paused for a moment and looked around, before continuing on.

Finally, Dreamkit worked her way past all the cats, feeling proud of herself. None of the Starclan warriors had seen her! And now she was at her goal. She could see something gleaming brightly, just past the ferns ahead of her.

She pushed her way through-and gasped.

In front of her was a shimmering pool of water. All the light in the clearing seemed concentrated into it, and it actually glowed with power, the stars inside glittering brightly.

Dreamkit bounded up to the edge, filled with awe. The pool was rippling, showing many different images at once. She saw rolling green hills, thick forest, swamps and marshes, and a deep blue lake.

And cats-everywhere.

Dreamkit knew she must be looking down at the living world. In her eagerness to see more, she leaned close to the pool, drinking in the images of the outside world.

Unfortunately, she leaned too far. With a small yelp, she fell face-first into the Starpool, into a shimmering image of the Gathering island.

* * *

A soft thump sounded as Dreamkit tumbled onto solid ground and lay sprawled out, the wind knocked out of her.

As she caught her breath, she was able to look around. She had landed on a soft pile of moss at the base of a huge tree. The tree was the only one in the large grassy clearing, though many trees grew at the edge, sheltering it from other animals.

Dreamkit frowned. This strange place seemed vaguely familiar. Had she seen it before?

Then it hit her. She had been here before! This was the Gathering island, where Star and Moon had taken her in, and she had been named Dreamkit…which meant that she was in Clan territory.

Dreamkit scrambled to her paws. _"This is so cool! I'm going to explore and have awesome adventures! I bet Flowerkit never did anything this exciting!"_

The silver-furred kit trotted through the trees, exhilaration coursing through her body. _"Look, it's the tree-bridge!"_

Dreamkit hesitantly placed a paw on the rotting wood. It held. Another paw was placed on, and it held.

Suddenly confident, Dreamkit padded across the bridge, digging her tiny thorn-sharp claws into the bark to keep her balance.

At the end, she carefully wove between the branches to jump onto the marsh, leaving clumps of silvery fur in the twigs.

As she ventured past the shore, the land changed. Instead of marshy ground and swampy puddles, there were trees, streams, and ponds. The entire territory was riddled with creeks.

Dreamkit sniffed the air, recoiling slightly at the smell. _"That's a weird smell. Why would any territory smell like fish?"_

Shrugging, she bounded on further, nosing every fern and flower out of curiosity. _"This is so different from StarClan territory!"_

Soon she was enjoying herself, rolling in the green leaves, sniffing flowers, attempting to hunt, even splashing around in a creek for fun.

Dreamkit squealed with laughter as she smacked a paw on the clear water, sending it flying into the air. She leaped around in the stream, playing with the smooth stones. She even made up a game, splashing the water up as high as she could.

She loved the fact that everything was so clear, and beautiful, and _real_.

Finally, worn out, she lay on the creekbed, letting the soft water slide over her ruffled pelt, watching the clouds float by in the deep blue sky, while something with brown fur approached her from-

_"Oh, no!"_

A tom's voice floated over to her. "Hey, kit, what are you doing here? This is RiverClan territory!

Dreamkit scrambled out of the creek, sopping wet. _"That explains the fish smell," _she thought. Out loud she mewed indignantly, "How was I supposed to know that this was RiverClan?!"

The tom rolled his eyes. "The border markings smell like fish, obviously." He shook his fur and sat down, wrapping his tail around his paws. "So, who're you? How did you get here?"

Dreamkit puffed up as much as she could with dripping fur. "I'm Dreamkit."

The tom cocked his head in confusion. "You're from the Clans, obviously, because you have a Clan name, but how did you get here on your own?"

Dreamkit started to say, "I fell from the Starpool," but realized just in time that she probably shouldn't say that. Instead, she shook her head. "Doesn't matter," she mewed boldly. "What's your name?"

"Hawkpaw," he replied, still staring at her. "Wait-you have violet eyes? Were you that kit from the Gathering three moons ago?"

"Um…" Dreamkit stammered. "I-"

She turned tail and ran, leaving a startled Hawkpaw behind her at the creek.

* * *

**So, how was that? I threw in a little adventure because I figured that a stubborn kit like Dreamkit is not going to sit around StarClan for six moons.**

**Now, see that little button down there? The one that says "Post Review"? Press it and make this little author happy, please!**

**-Moongazer**


	5. A Way Home

**Moongazer is back! *insert drumroll here***

**Here comes chapter 5! I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying Dreamkit's little escapade here. Remember, reviews are always welcome! Thanks to all the wonderful people who reviewed my story so far! And I will put up allegiances next chapter, but that's been a bit delayed because coming up with names on the fly is not as easy as it looks. Feel free to PM with suggestions for names!**

**To all my readers, if you're finding some loose ends so far in the story, please don't worry, because I have plans that will tie everything up nicely by the end. I have a long, long way to go, though. :)**

**Also, I've put up a poll on my profile for Dreamkit's warrior name. It may seem early, but I'd like to be prepared for future chapters.**

**Finally, please check out my forum, ImagineClan! We need more members!**

**Now, to the story (after that absurdly long author's note)!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, but I do own all my own characters and the plotline.**

* * *

Dreamkit raced through the forest, blood pounding in her ears, her ragged breaths catching in her chest. Panic filled her mind.

_"I can't let him catch me!"_

She swerved around a lone fern.

_"What am I going to do?"_

She wriggled through a bush and came out sprinting.

_"I have to keep going."_

Dreamkit dashed on. Her breathing was growing painful. She wasn't used to running so far, so fast.

_"I knew I should have listened to Star about being lazy!"_

The tree-bridge loomed up in front of Dreamkit. She didn't hesitate for even a moment as she clambered onto the branches and attempted to scurry across as fast as she could.

It didn't work.

With a loud yelp, her paws slipped and she started to fall. For a moment she scrabbled at the rough bark, feeling wildly for a foothold, before she lost her grip and tumbled into the deep blue water.

Dreamkit flailed around frantically, sputtering and gasping as water filled her eyes and choked up her nose and throat. The world seemed blurred, almost flowing, as if all the colors of the forest had been turned into water and swirled together. She could hazily see flashes of blue, white, and silver, then a wall of brown as she felt herself lifted and moved, and finally deposited on solid ground, where she lay wheezing for breath.

_"I am never coming here again!"_

Dreamkit coughed up a final mouthful of slimy water and weakly sat up, trying to get her bearings. She was on stony ground, a few tail-lengths away from the lake. And sitting in front of her, soaking wet, was…

_"Oh, great StarClan. Not him!"_

Hawkpaw.

"You shouldn't try to outrun a warrior apprentice, you know," he mewed nonchalantly. "Especially when they are twice your age and size."

Dreamkit hissed half-heartedly at him. "Maybe you shouldn't ask so many questions that I'm not supposed to answer!"

"What else was I supposed to do?" he shot back. "You're a strange kit playing in a stream well into RiverClan territory. I can't just leave you there!"

He took a deep breath. "Right. Let's start from the beginning. I'm Hawkpaw, and you are…"

"Dreamkit."

"Okay. You are Dreamkit, a kit that just popped up from nowhere. Which Clan do you live in?"

Dreamkit flapped her mouth a bit before answering. "Can't tell you that. Where's the Starpool?"

Hawkpaw tilted his head, confused. "You mean the Moonpool?"

Dreamkit rolled her eyes. "I said _Starpool_. I must mean _Starpool_."

Hawkpaw let out a patient sigh. "There isn't a Starpool here. That's why I said the _Moonpool_, and that's why I must mean _Moonpool-_"

He suddenly shot to his paws, glancing fearfully at the sky. "Oh, no!"

"What?" Dreamkit inquired.

"I'm late to the patrol! I have to go!" He looked at her, breathing erratically. "Okay. Can you stay here? I'll come and check on you later."

Dreamkit sprawled out on the moss. "I'm not going anywhere. I have to figure out how to get home."

She was talking to empty air. Hawkpaw had already run off.

Dreamkit let out a silent breath and rolled onto her back, staring at the sky thoughtfully.

* * *

"Dreamkit!" a voice hissed. "Dreamkit, over here!"

Dreamkit jolted awake. She was sitting in a familiar clearing with a small stream bubbling through the middle. The cat speaking was a black and white tabby cat, who was looking nervous. She kept shooting furtive glances at the trees, as if some cat might burst out of them any moment and catch her doing something wrong.

Then Dreamkit noticed the stars dotting the ground and the cat's pelt.

"Breezeheart!" Dreamkit exclaimed in relief. "Am I back in StarClan?"

Breezeheart shook her head urgently. "No, this is just a dream."

Dreamkit slumped down with disappointment. "How am I going to get back?" she wailed. "I have to come home!"

Breezeheart nodded distractedly. "I know. Look, Flowerkit noticed your absence. She's thought of a plan already to get you home."

Dreamkit brightened up. "She has? Where is she?"

Breezeheart stood up and padded towards the trees. "I'll go get her," she called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the shadows.

Moments later, a white cat scampered out of the forest and into the clearing. "Dreamkit!" Flowerkit exclaimed, skidding to a stop. "Thank StarClan I could get through to you!"

"You _are_ StarClan." Dreamkit pointed out dryly.

Flowerkit rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. The point is, I've figured out how to get you home-sort of."

Dreamkit gazed at Flowerkit with big violet eyes. "How?"

Flowerkit shifted uncomfortably. "We-e-ell…you're going to have to travel halfway the way around the lake to get there."

Dreamkit gawked at Flowerkit. "_What?!_"

Flowerkit sighed. "See," she began, "there's this pool on the other side of the lake-called the Moonpool."

"What's that?" Dreamkit butted in.

"Quit interrupting, will you?"

"Sorry."

"Anyway," Flowerkit continued, "the pool is called the Moonpool. It's kind of like the mirror image of the Starpool, but in the living world. The two pools are linked; that's how StarClan communicates with the medicine cats."

Dreamkit hissed softly. "Get to the point."

"Fine." Flowerkit snapped. "The _point_ is, I'll guide you around the lake, and then I should be able to get you into StarClan through the Moonpool."

Dreamkit bounced a little with excitement. "This is great! I can see all the territories while I go, and-wait, is there anything else I'm going to need to know?"

Flowerkit snorted. "There's a chance you could be suspended in nothingness forever between the Moonpool and the Starpool, if something goes wrong."

Dreamkit flicked an ear crossly. "Quit pulling my tail, Flowerkit."

"I'm not."

Dreamkit froze in fright.

Flowerkit purred. "Relax. You should be fine. Although you're going to be in _so_ much trouble with Moon and Star when you get back."

Dreamkit groaned. "Don't remind me."

Flowerkit giggled as she touched her nose to Dreamkit's forehead. "Get some rest," she said. "You're going to need it tomorrow."

Murky darkness spread through Dreamkit at Flowerkit's touch. Her eyelids drooped lower and lower, until she gave up trying to stay awake and let herself sink into a deep, dreamless sleep, full of anticipation for her long journey.

* * *

**The next chapter(s) should be fun...**

**Anyway, I really hope you're enjoying this. Dreamkit is a fun character to explore. Her personality is just unfolding. :)**

**Reviews are very much appreciated!**


	6. The Flower Trail

**I'm back (finally!) with chapter 6.**

**First, I just wanted to apologize for being a ****_terrible_**** updater and not posting for almost two weeks. I'm really really really really sorry-I kinda had some writer's block on this particular chapter (hate that), so for days I couldn't think of anything to write. I promise to update much sooner, at least for these next couple of weeks, while I have more free time to write. Thank you to all the lovely people who have given me a 6-review-per-chapter average. I'll thank you forever if we can continue that! :) I hope you will all keep reading the story-the plot is just starting to thicken!**

**Also, if you will ****_please_**** go see my forum ImagineClan-no one's bothered to write for any of the challenges, and there's a competition on currently, so...**

**And finally, try my story That's What Friends Are For! No one has reviewed ****_at all_****! I'm still kind of down about that. If I get 1 review, I'll be happy, 2, I'll be bouncing up and down, 3 or more, I'll probably do a happy dance around my room. XD**

**Right...after that absurdly long author's note, let's get on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, etc, etc. I'm pretty sure you know it by heart by now.**

* * *

"You need to do _what?_" Hawkpaw gawked at Dreamkit.

Dreamkit shuffled her paws nervously. "Um…walk around the lake?"

Hawkpaw shook his head in disbelief. "Are you mousebrained?"

Dreamkit glared at him. "Obviously, I'm perfectly sane. Now, are you going to help me go home or not?"

Hawkpaw sighed. "Fine, but the most I can do is get you out of RiverClan territory. I probably won't be able to help you any more after that."

Dreamkit was already scampering away towards the tree-bridge. With another sigh, Hawkpaw got up and padded through the trees after the small silver kit.

* * *

A familiar voice floated to Dreamkit's ears on the breeze as she scampered along the lakeshore with her companion. _"Dreamkit…Dreamkit…"_

Dreamkit pricked her ears up. "Flowerkit?"

Hawkpaw looked at Dreamkit strangely. "What're you talking about?"

Dreamkit flicked her tail-tip into his mouth. "Quiet, moss-head!"

Hawkpaw choked indignantly on her tail fur, before spitting it out. "Who're you calling moss-head?"

Dreamkit ignored him. She could still hear the voice. _"Yes, it's me, Dreamkit…when you get out of the territory…the trail…"_

"What trail?" Dreamkit whispered into the air.

_"Follow the stars…the stars…"_

Dreamkit looked back to see Hawkpaw pausing with one paw lifted. "What's wrong?"

Hawkpaw shifted uneasily. "The scent markings."

"What about them?"

"I can't leave the territory…the Clan would be suspicious…"

"…and then they'd come looking for you, find me, and get me in a huge mess?"

"Pretty much." Hawkpaw answered.

Dreamkit nodded slowly. "Okay. Does that mean you have to go?"

"Yep."

Dreamkit looked crestfallen for a second, before brightening up. "Oh, well. Bye, then!"

She reached up to touch his nose with her little pink one, before pulling away and padding away, waving her feathery tail behind her.

Hawkpaw stood on the border, watching her disappear, before turning around and heading into the forest.

* * *

Dreamkit was confused. Flowerkit had said to follow the stars, but it was day! Where would there be stars if there weren't any in the sky?

_"Follow the star trail, Dreamkit…"_

Dreamkit sighed in resignation and trudged along the lakeshore, glancing at the sky hopefully every so often as if it could give her a clue.

She paused to admire a little silver flower. It was sprouting out of a clump of grass, surrounded by feathery leaves, the petals spiraling outward from a soft yellow center.

Dreamkit couldn't resist. She brought her small nose to the flower and sniffed carefully-and sneezed.

The sneeze made Dreamkit jerk her head forward, right onto the flower.

All the lovely little silver petals fell off, and were immediately picked up by the breeze and blown away.

_"Oops," _Dreamkit thought guiltily, gazing at the air as she saw the sparkling petals fly away, looking almost like little stars.

_"Wait…stars? The trail!"_

She watched excitedly as some of the glimmering petals landed on the ground near her. The other ones had floated away, out of sight.

_"They're making a trail! Thank you, Flowerkit!"_

Full of fresh energy, Dreamkit trotted on. Every few foxlengths, another petal shone like a star on the ground, marking a path for Dreamkit to make her way home.

* * *

The territory soon changed, large pine trees beginning to block out the sky instead of tall leafy oaks and elms. The ground was so soft that Dreamkit's paws sank into it with every step, making a horrible squelching noise that disgusted her.

Still, Dreamkit plodded on, relentlessly following the trail of flowers, though her paws ached, and she was starting to feel hungry. Her mind was soon lost in daydreams, so she almost missed the scent.

Had she not had her mouth slightly open while she walked with a faraway look in her eyes, she probably would not have noticed the very fresh scent that indicated that a cat was nearby.

Fortunately for her, she smelled the scent. At once, she was completely alert, quickly diving into a bramble bush next to her with a gasp of pain as the thorns raked her sides.

She wasn't a moment too early.

A second after Dreamkit settled in the bush, she heard pawsteps right in front of her. By craning her neck, she could just see two sets of paws through the leaves, one golden-brown, the other black and white, flecked with stars.

_"Stars? But that can't be a dead cat, can it?"_

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard them speak.

"They'll yield, sooner or later," Dreamkit heard a tom's voice growl.

A softer, more musical voice answered him. "Maybe I should visit the…others…to see what else can be done to them?"

Dreamkit frowned. That second voice sounded so familiar…but she couldn't quite place it. But she also couldn't shake the feeling that she should know that cat.

"No," the tom's gruff voice meowed. "You will have to wait for a few moons before acting in your own territory."

Dreamkit scarcely dared to breathe as she heard the two cats walk away, still discussing their plans.

Finally, she carefully poked her head out of the bush, wincing as a thorn ensnarled itself in her fur. The two cats were gone; all that was left behind of them was their scents and a couple of tufts of black-and-white fur.

* * *

Dreamkit hissed under her breath as she walked. It was already night. The stars and moon glowed brightly in the sky, lighting up her silver fur. Idly, she wondered which star was which cat's spirit, but she had too many problems of her own to spend too much time thinking about it.

She was ravenous. Her scratches stung under her fur, and her raw pads were aching from walking on stones all day. Her pelt was matted, dirty, and hopelessly tangled with thorns, so she couldn't even lick it without hurting her tongue. And she was completely exhausted. She had to rest every few tail-lengths so she wouldn't collapse. At this point, even the odd conversation she had overheard faded into the back of her mind, paling into insignificance next to her seemingly overwhelming difficulties.

Eventually the territory changed to a dense forest, with lush undergrowth and thick grass, and prey rustling around in every gap between tree roots. Up ahead gleamed the next silver flower petal.

_"Keep going, Dreamkit. You can do this."_ Flowerkit's voice whispered in her ear.

"No, I can't!" Dreamkit snarled, suddenly fed up with the entire experience. "I'm exhausted, and hungry, and covered with scratches, and I can't go on like this!"

Flowerkit's voice held a tinge of exasperation. "_Fine…let's fix that. Why don't you complain about the dangers of the forest instead? Why isn't that more pressing?"_

Dreamkit tilted her head. "The forest is dangerous?"

Dreamkit could just imagine Flowerkit rolling her eyes. _"Of course it is! Never mind-let's just give you enough energy to run home."_

A soft puff of wind blew onto Dreamkit's face. Warmth spread through her, radiating from the tip of her nose and flooding every part of her body. Suddenly she felt like she could run forever, without stopping or getting tired. Even the hunger raging in her belly faded to a dull tingle.

_"Go…run, Dreamkit…you'll be safe, I promise."_

Dreamkit nodded slightly. "Okay, Flowerkit. Thanks…"

She began to run, bounding through the forest.

* * *

As the moon began to set and the rising sun colored the clouds a faint pink, Dreamkit charged out of the lush forest, unharmed, just as Flowerkit had promised. Her strange energy was wearing down, and she was absolutely _starving_.

She plopped down on the open grass, breathing heavily.

"Right," she growled. "Flowerkit, if you have any powers at all, you'll send me a mouse. I could seriously use one."

Immediately, Flowerkit's voice floated in on the wind.

_"No, I can't," _Flowerkit whispered. _"All the energy I have is spent keeping you safe and full of energy. Creekkit and Leafkit gave a whole lot of their energy for you too. You can eat in StarClan, if you ever get here and stop being ungrateful."_

Dreamkit rolled her eyes. "I'm the one kit who's ever lived in StarClan while alive, and you can't even send me a mouse?"

Flowerkit didn't respond, but Dreamkit could sense her blazing irritation, like a burning stick held close to her ear.

With a groan, Dreamkit got to her paws and scurried on. The trees fell away behind her, thin grass stretching out in front of her. The wind whipped at her ears, but she pushed on, eyes stinging.

_"I'm never going to complain about being bored again."_ Dreamkit thought fiercely, struggling up the hill with her silvery tail streaming out behind her.

The ground changed again, becoming rockier. Dreamkit's bleeding paws slipped neatly into the dips and dents in the ground, as if countless paws had worn out a way before her. The flower petals had disappeared, but she didn't need them. There was already a path carved out for her, twisting and turning, and veering steadily to the right.

_"I've got to be close," _Dreamkit purred inwardly, carefully placing her feet in the pawholds as she made her way down the rock.

She pushed her way through a thick barrier of bushes and gasped.

Below her lay a pool, shimmering with light. It was an exact replica of the Starpool, glittering with stars, magic radiating off of it like moonlight. Crystal-clear water tumbled gently down a rocky cliff face next to it, landing in the pool with a soft splash.

This was, undoubtedly, the Moonpool. It looked too much like the Starpool to be otherwise. A flicker of excitement flared up in Dreamkit's belly. She could finally go home!

_"On second thought, I might just like to have an adventure like this again. Is boredom really so bad?"_ she laughed, tripping over her own paws in her haste to reach the Moonpool.

Within moments, she sat by the side of the sparkling water, gazing eagerly into it's depths. Sure enough, she could see faint images of rolling hills, starry forests, cats milling around a grassy clearing.

She could even see her beloved adopted mother and father.

Dreamkit leaned closer, drinking in the images hungrily. There was Moon, looking anxious, Star, curled up into a ball and staring into the air, both of them, swirling the water of the Starpool frantically, catching glimpses of a small silver kitten in different places and positions.

Remorse swept over her in a crushing wave as she realized just what she must have put her parents through. They may be safe, but she certainly wasn't, not down here in the living world, and of course, they would worry.

She had to go home.

Dreamkit took a deep breath and launched herself forward, straight into a rippling reflection of the Starpool.

* * *

Dreamkit opened her eyes. She was lying on a thick clump of grass, in the shade of a large tree. She could hear water splashing gently next to her. The leaves on the trees were sparkling. The entire _sky_ was sparkling.

Dreamkit had never been so happy to see stars in her life.

A familiar face swam into her view. It was black and white, with pretty blue eyes filled with worry and relief at the same time.

"Dreamkit!" Star purred loudly, covering her adopted daughter's face with licks. "You're okay!"

Dreamkit glanced down at her paws. "I'm _almost _okay…" she answered, reaching up to lick Star's cheek.

Star sighed softly, touching her nose to each paw in turn. There were several flashes of bright light, which quickly faded as if they had never been there, leaving Dreamkit's paws healed completely, and feeling good as new. Even the thorns in Dreamkit's pelt disappeared.

"At least you're safe," Star murmured, pulling her kit close. "I was so worried!"

Dreamkit snuggled up to Star, reveling in the softness and warmth of her fur. "I missed you too," she mewled pitifully, gazing up to her mother with huge violet eyes.

Star pulled away. "I hope you know that you are in a _lot_ of trouble, Dreamkit," she growled sternly. "Don't think that just because we are glad to see you doesn't mean that you are not going to be punished."

Dreamkit groaned internally. _"We? She can't seriously mean…"_

Star flicked her tail towards the trees. Starry cats began pouring out, kits, apprentices, warriors, all surrounding the Starpool until it seemed as though every single cat in StarClan was gathered there.

All wore austere, unsympathetic looks on their faces.

Dreamkit gulped, wishing she had never set foot outside StarClan.

_"Oh, no. Here it comes."_

* * *

**Oooooooh...someone's in ****_trouble_****... :)**

**I sincerely hope that that chapter made up for the long wait a little...I'll update with the next chapter sooner.**

**Please remember to review!**


	7. The Aftermath Of The Adventure

**Here's chapter 7! I hope this is a fast enough update for everyone...**

**I'd like a few more reviews on this chapter. I only got three on the last one...I'm hoping for at least five on this one.**

**To all of those who look forward to seeing how Dreamkit is doing after her little adventure...well, here you go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, I only own my characters and plotline.**

* * *

For a few moments, all the cats were silent.

No one spoke, no one moved-everyone just stared at Dreamkit, who was trying very hard to shrink into the ground.

After what seemed like eternity and a day, a few cats pushed out of the crowd and stepped forward towards Dreamkit and Star.

Bluestar broke the silence. "I hope you understand, Dreamkit, that we are very disappointed in you," she meowed gravely.

Moon wove his way through the throng and joined them. "We told you not to go to the Starpool for a reason, Dreamkit. That is one fall already lost, and we do not know the consequences yet."

Dreamkit found her voice. "Wh-wh-what do you mean, one fall?" she squeaked.

Firestar appeared on Bluestar's other side. "There is an ancient magic surrounding the Starpool, little one," he sighed. "The magic is strong enough to leach life force from a living cat. Specifically, you."

Dreamkit was rendered speechless again as Firestar went on.

"If we had known you would fall through the Starpool, we would have protected you with magic so you would not suffer for the action. That is why we told you not to go to the pool until you are expressly permitted to do so. If you aren't protected, you can only go through the pool a certain number of times before…"

"B-b-before what?" Dreamkit whimpered, cowering against Star's fur.

Mossfire chose to answer the question, sitting calmly by the Starpool with her tail wrapped around her paws.

"There are many things that could happen, Dreamkit," she murmured. "It is possible that you would suffer extreme weakness for days, at the very least. But we were afraid, because once you have exceeded your limit, you may never be able to return, or you could have been trapped in nothingness forever."

Dreamkit gulped. Suddenly, there seemed to be a hard lump, like a rock, sitting in her throat.

"Or, you could die."

The clearing was dead silent as every cat processed the information.

Star curled her black-and-white tail around Dreamkit. "The trouble, sweetheart, is not that you would have been harmed this time, falling into the living world," she soothed. "The trouble is that we do not know how many times you can fall through the Starpool without suffering the consequences. We thought it would be best if you saved those for a time that you truly need them."

Star's eyes flashed as she spoke, as if she was remembering a darker memory, something that frightened her, something that did not bode well for the future.

There was a moment of silence before Moon spoke. "We'll have to figure that out later," he rumbled. "For now, let's figure out a punishment for my naughty kit."

The mixed emotions in Moon's eyes sent shards of regret and apprehension straight at Dreamkit's heart. Though he spoke lightly, there was a dark look in his eyes that revealed all of the worry and stress that he had gone through when she had disappeared.

"For now, confinement should do," Firestar meowed somberly. "We'll keep her in a shallow hole, with a woven barrier that she cannot get out of. At the same time, she will see the sky and the sunlight, but she won't be able to enjoy it."

Star sighed in resignation. "Is that all? Will I even be able to talk to her?"

Bluestar nodded slowly. "For now, that is all. Anyone may talk to her, but not for too long." She turned to address the gathered cats, voice ringing out clear and strong. "All of you know our aims-solitude and confinement."

Dreamkit spoke up. "Bluestar?" she whispered, looking up fearfully.

Bluestar's eyes softened a little as she looked at the trembling silver kitten. "Yes?"

"Will I have stay in the hole forever?"

Bluestar let out a strained laugh, like she was under a lot of stress and had to force herself to purr. "No, Dreamkit, it's just until you learn your lesson."

Moon settled down next to his mate and adopted daughter. "Can you give us a day to be together before her punishment?"

Firestar inclined his head slightly. "Very well. You may have one day."

Bluestar raised her voice. "This meeting is dismissed. I wish to talk to a few of you. You know who you are."

Slowly, the crowd dispersed, heading out into the forest. Many cast glances at Dreamkit and her adopted parents, but they did not linger as they padded off to their various tasks.

Finally, only Firestar remained with Dreamkit's family, looking like there was something he wanted to say. As his blazing green eyes met Dreamkit's, she slowly trudged to him, away from the safety of Star's company, feeling as if he was pulling her in with his bright gaze.

Firestar bent down slightly, until he could look her right in the eye.

"You have spirit, Dreamkit," he told her quietly. "Do not lose that; often, heroes are made not by the way they follow the rules, but the way they break them. You have yet to learn, however, that there are times to follow the rules, and learn your lesson, and times to break the rules for the sake of doing what is right. Remember that well, Dreamkit."

The flame-pelted tom turned abruptly and bounded away, leaving Dreamkit staring at where he had been standing, stunned, his strange advice winding through her mind.

* * *

Dreamkit felt herself being lifted, and carried at a very fast pace. Moon had a firm hold of her scruff, and was racing through the forest, Star by his side.

They quickly reached their den, the honeysuckle bush on top of the hill, where Dreamkit was deposited unceremoniously in the nest they all shared and smothered with licks.

"Oh, Dreamkit," Star breathed, lapping hard at Dreamkit's scruffy fur. "Do you have any idea how _worried_ we were?"

Moon left the den for a moment, before padding back in and laying a vole in front of Dreamkit. "Eat first," he meowed firmly, joining Star in cuddling the kit. "Talk later."

Star ranted at Dreamkit while washing her, Dreamkit ravenously gobbling the prey down. "Can't you just follow the rules? If you were bored, you could have found someone to play with! The Starpool is off-limits for a reason! Everything we do is for a reason, it's all for your safety! You're the only kit I've ever raised, what if something had happened to you? I was so, so worried, what if a fox or a badger had gotten you? Badgers are nasty, they killed-"

Star stopped suddenly, a funny look on her face, as if she was remembering something painful and stopping herself from giving it away at the same time.

Dreamkit paused halfway through her vole, violet eyes sparkling inquisitively. "What did the badgers do?"

Star looked like she was having trouble swallowing something. She ducked her head and looked away, eyes glassy.

Moon laid his tail comfortingly over Star's back, before answering Dreamkit, though he had the same pained expression on his face. "It was a badger that killed Star, sweetheart. It's hard to talk about for her."

Dreamkit stared at her parents. "Oh."

Moon sighed. "It's a long story, so I won't tell you it all now, but.…" He took a shaky breath. "That night-it was completely dark; we were careless…the badger came out of nowhere, and hit her. I killed it, but not in time. She died, and for so many moons…" Moon trailed away, lost in thought.

Dreamkit took a careful look at the two cats and decided it was best not to ask what happened. She could find out from another cat sometime.

Star turned back to Dreamkit, with a shaky little half-laugh. "Are you planning to finish that vole, or not?"

* * *

Dreamkit bounced out of the den with the intent to look for the other kits, her old friends. Star and Moon had reluctantly allowed her out of the den, but had sternly commanded her not to go farther than the base of the hill. Dreamkit had grumbled and complained, but unfortunately for her, they stayed firm.

At the base of the hill, a large group of kits was shuffling around nervously. Dreamkit spotted her old friends Brownkit, Glowkit, Creekkit, Leafkit, and Blazekit. Flowerkit was also there, looking very smug, surrounded by the rest of Dreamkit's companions.

"Hi, guys!" Dreamkit squealed, tumbling down the hill into their midst.

Flowerkit giggled. "You can thank me now."

Dreamkit rolled her eyes. "Fine. Thanks, Flowerkit."

She looked at her first five friends, the kits she had first played with when she came to StarClan. "Thanks for the energy, you guys," she purred.

Leafkit nuzzled Dreamkit's shoulder-all that she could reach now that Dreamkit had grown. "You're welcome. We couldn't leave you defenseless, could we? You're our friend!"

The other kits took that as their cue to drown Dreamkit in questions.

"What did you see?"

"What was it like?"

"Were you hurt?"

"Did you fight anything?"

"Did you meet any cats?"

"Weren't you hungry?"

Dreamkit basked in all the attention, and sat down immediately and began to relate the story of her adventure to her eager listeners. She started out with the truth, but soon began to elaborate, throwing in hugely stretched events, like swimming across the lake and fighting a patrol of crazy Clan cats.

A gray she-kit named Willowkit interrupted in the middle of Dreamkit's account of running from what she thought was a fox in the shadows.

"Dreamkit," Willowkit mewed, flicking her tail towards the den on the hill. "Star's calling you."

Dreamkit shook her pelt out slightly as she stood up in the circle of her admiring friends. "See you guys later."

"Come and finish the story later!" the kits called after her as she trotted back up the hill.

Star looked very amused. "Making up stories, now, were you?"

Dreamkit flattened her ears. "Sorry…?"

Star shook her head. "Don't make up stories like that; it won't help you at all in life. But no matter now, you need a nap."

"Star!" Dreamkit wailed, horrified. "I don't want to sleep!"

Star shook her head firmly. "You didn't sleep at all on your little escapade, so you're going to make up for it now. Into the nest with you."

Much to Dreamkit's displeasure, Star grabbed Dreamkit by the scruff and dropped her in the nest, immediately curling around her so she couldn't escape.

Dreamkit wriggled around restlessly, but she couldn't move away. It was so warm…and Star's purring was so soothing…

Finally, Dreamkit gave up and allowed herself to sink into sleep.

* * *

**I hope you liked that chapter, with Dreamkit's punishment being ruled out and everything. Sorry to everyone who was hoping she'd get off scot-free, but with an adventure that big, I doubt StarClan would let her go. :)**

**If you want the rest of Star's story, it's described in my other fic, Legends of the Stars.**

**Please review!**


	8. Punished

**Here it comes! *cue drumroll* Chapter 8!** **I hope you've been looking forward to this.**

**Speaking of which, I'm sorry I haven't updated for so long. School's started up again, and I've been busy, and at first, I had no idea how to go about writing this chapter...and I should stop making pathetic excuses. Again, sorry for the late update. Unfortunately, I can't guarantee more frequent updates. I'll try, though. :)**

**Also, I haven't posted allegiances in this chapter because I can't just make up that many names. Making them up on the fly is actually quite difficult. I'd appreciate if you'd PM me a few cats to put in the allegiances. Just include a name and short description. I may not use all of them, but I will probably use most.**

**Finally, thank you for reviewing! 6 reviews! I was really happy when I saw. :) I'll appreciate it even more if I can have six on this chapter too.**

**Now, without further delay, here's chapter 8!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, I only own my story and all my own characters.**

* * *

The sun was shining, the cats were playing, the fluffy white clouds floated serenely across the wide blue sky.

And Dreamkit was bored out of her mind-except this time, she couldn't find something to do, because she was facing her punishment for that very same offense.

Dreamkit sighed, shifting restlessly in her little prison. It was a hole in the ground, large enough for a four-moon-old kit to move around and have room to stretch, but much too tight for even a six-moon-old kit. Springy green moss lay piled in a corner for Dreamkit to sleep on, though she wasn't interested. She'd already taken three naps today and she felt so wide-awake that she doubted she'd ever sleep again.

Dreamkit gazed wistfully through the gate of her little hole. It was a clever lattice of willow branches, wedged into the mouth of the hole, big enough for Dreamkit to stick a paw or two through, but not nearly enough to attempt to escape.

So far, several cats had visited her. Star had stayed with her as long as she dared, before reluctantly padding away. Moon had come too, and taught her a couple new moss-games that had kept Dreamkit entertained for a while, but then he had to leave too.

Many of Dreamkit's friends had visited her. Creekkit had sympathized with her, Flowerkit had teased her, Willowkit had eagerly asked about what it was like inside. They brought her prey as an excuse to visit, then stayed and chatted as the sun rose in the sky.

Eventually, though, the older kits had realized that they had to go and let Dreamkit face her punishment, and the younger kits had grown tired of the conversation and left to play, leaving Dreamkit to sit there and ponder random questions that passed through her head.

Dreamkit looked up curiously through the lattice of branches to the sky. Star had told her that the real world also had the sun and moon and sky, and StarClan mirrored it in their own lands so the dead spirits of cats could continue living. But they didn't have stars at night, simply because the cats of StarClan _were_ the stars.

Dreamkit allowed herself to flop back onto her pile of moss, listening to the sounds of the other cats playing, hunting, and talking happily. Her entire body ached to go join them, to run and jump in the sun, as free as the birds that soared across the sky.

Yes, StarClan truly knew how to punish unruly kits, special though they may be.

Dreamkit sighed again, lying back and staring at the bright world outside. Her thoughts began to wander, back into her adventure. She remembered walking next to the sparkling lake, gazing up at the glowing stars, trotting across the tree-bridge on the Gathering island, playing in the stream. With a slight pang of longing, she wondered if she would ever go back again. Somehow, StarClan and the real world were very different-the real word was so _vibrant_, somehow much more full of life.

Dreamkit felt sleepy again. The warmth of the day was making her eyes close, and her paws felt sluggish, as though they were trapped in mud.

Readily, the kit gave in to her fourth nap that day. After all, she had nothing else to do.

* * *

_It was dark and cold. Withering trees loomed everywhere, casting eerie shadows across the lightless forest floor. Flickering shapes darted through the mist._

_There were no stars in the sky; there was no light at all._

_A black-and-white blur flashed through the trees, and another blur flashed after it. Their pelt colors mingled in the air, stars in one, darkness and shadow in the other, whirling in a single fluid movement._

_Suddenly, the two cats' pelts melted into a brilliant flash of light, and the scene changed._

_Voices sounded in the air, one soft and high, one harsh and deep. There was the sound of cats moving around, leaves and twigs moving around, the two voices arguing angrily behind the bush. Glimpses of their fur showed through the bush, one golden brown, one black and white._

_The black and white one was covered in stars._

_The scene flashed and changed again._

_This time, many images flashed by, each lasting for less than a moment, though it seemed to stretch through all eternity._

_There were starry cats in pools of silver, real cats in pools of red, a shadowy cat baring dripping fangs. The stars were disappearing, the moon glowed blood-red, the deep blue lake churned and frothed while harsh winds whipped it around. Rain fell in torrents, flooding the streams, forcing cats out of the forest further and further. Tree branches fell, cats scattered in panic, three cats lurked into the shadows._

_All that could be seen of them was three pairs of glowing eyes, three pairs of gleaming fangs, three sets of bloodied claws._

_One turned, saw her, and lunged, claws outstretched, eyes smoldering with hate._

_Time slowed down. The shadowy cat was still coming, but sluggishly, as if the very air was holding it back._

_She heard a voice in her ear, though when she turned her head there was nothing there._

_"This is what will happen if they are not stopped. The shadows will rise, a star will fade into darkness, the cold, cold mist will twine both together. The moon will glow red with blood, the Clans will fall, three worlds will meld and form again as they were never meant to be. Only one has the eyes to see it, one of two worlds, the only savior of the Clans."_

_She turned her head again, and this time, saw a pair of burning orange eyes._

_The eyes began to fade, but the message sounded through the still air again._

_"The shadows will rise, a star will fade into darkness, the cold, cold mist will twine both together."_

_The eyes faded more._

_"The moon will glow red with blood, the Clans will fall, three worlds will meld and form again as they were never meant to be."_

_The eyes disappeared, and the shadowy cat lunged forward at normal speed, fangs gleaming wickedly in the sickly light._

_When the claws were about to hit her throat, she heard the last part of the message, resonating in her mind, filling it until that was all she could hear._

_"Only one has the eyes to see it, one of two worlds, the only savior of the Clans."_

_The shadow cat's claws reached her throat._

Dreamkit woke up, sweating and gasping. The horror of her dream replayed in her mind. The frightening images, the strange message, the cat of shadows about to kill her.

Suddenly, the dark corners in her little hole seemed to be moving. The shadows cast by the trees outside looked menacing and eerie. The walls of the hole seemed to close in until Dreamkit felt like she was drowning. She couldn't breathe, couldn't handle the fear seeping in to engulf her in it's depths.

Dreamkit let out a thin, panicky wail.

"_Star!_"

Within moments, her mother was there. Without hesitation, Star lifted the willow barrier clean out of the hole and pulled Dreamkit out.

"Shhh," Star soothed, rocking her kit slightly. "It's okay. Everything's okay."

"I-I-I had a-a n-n-nightmare," Dreamkit whimpered, burying her face in Star's fur. "I-it was s-scary."

Moon appeared suddenly next to them, settling down and curling his body around his mate and kit. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Dreamkit shook her head wordlessly, hiccupping slightly.

"Do you want to tell us what it was about?"

Star's gentle question sent the gory images reeling back into Dreamkit's mind. The dark message resounded in her mind as she remembered the dream with a shudder.

But when Dreamkit opened her mouth to talk, nothing came out. There seemed to be a hard lump of fear in her throat, obstructing any sounds.

There was more than that, though. Somewhere in the back of Dreamkit's mind, there was a small, niggling thought-a thought that insisted that she keep the dream to herself until she could think about it a little.

Dreamkit silently shook her head again, burying her face back in her mother's fur, swallowing to try and get rid of the lump in her throat. "I-I'll tell you l-later," she mumbled.

Moon licked his daughter's head. "Do you want us to stay with you now?"

Dreamkit nodded, snuggling down in the warmth and comfort of her parents' presence. The horror of her dream was already fading a little. Her breathing soon slowed, growing deeper and more even. Star and Moon fell asleep in a huddle around their kit, as if they could protect her from nightmares by keeping her between them.

And together the family slept under the sky.

* * *

**They're such a cute family...I wanted to put more of it in the story, so I incorporated it into the end. :3**

**What do you think of Dreamkit's nightmare? **

**Remember to review!**


	9. Two Moons Later

**Yes, it's here...the chapter you've all been waiting for...chapter 9. And you'd be right to be impatient. DX**

**I am truly very sorry for the awfully long wait. I've been insanely busy, and I ****_have_**** to put my schoolwork before my story. That, sadly, is leading to very infrequent updates and this pathetic excuse-making in every author's note.**

**Anyway, this is a nice, long chapter: four pages' worth of a Word document. That should help, at least somewhat.**

**A huge thank-you to all the wonderful people who have reviewed in the month and a half I haven't updated. Your support means so much to me.**

**An even bigger thank-you and a plushie of your choice will go to everyone who reviews to show me that they haven't given up on my story yet, despite my prolonged procrastination. :)**

**So...yeah. Welcome back to conceited yet lovable Dreamkit's world. Or maybe not Dream****_kit_**** for long...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, and I am most definitely not Erin Hunter. But I do own my plot, characters, etc., etc.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Dreamkit sat at the edge of the forest, quivering with excitement. The day she had been waiting for for moons was finally here.

She was going to be an apprentice, two moons after her little escapade to the living world.

For those two moons, she had dutifully minded the punishment. After she was let out of that confining hole, she had been a good kit; she played with the other kits her age, talked with the younger ones that she couldn't play with anymore, ate, slept, and more importantly, stayed out of the deep forest where the Starpool was.

That wasn't to say that she didn't want to explore again. Several times, she had barely been able to stay away. But the memory of her long, dreary punishment in the hole behind the willow barrier was strong enough to deter her. She definitely wouldn't be able to stand a punishment like that a second time.

But her efforts had paid off; she was going to be an apprentice! And not just an ordinary apprentice, either; Star and Moon had vaguely hinted that her apprenticeship was going to be different, though they had refused to say any more. Their small hints had excited Dreamkit even more, to the point where she wasn't even able to sit still.

"Dreamkit, sit down!" Star scolded, covering the kit's ears with a flurry of licks. "How in the name of the Clans am I supposed to get you presentable if you insist on squirming about like this?"

Moon watched from a tail-length away, amused. "She's a bit overexcited, I believe."

Dreamkit wriggled around under Star's tongue. "I'm fine, Star!" she mewed indignantly. "You've been washing me constantly since sunhigh!"

"And I'll keep doing it until you sit down and let me finish!" Star grumbled. "If you keep ruffling your fur every time I straighten it, how are you supposed to look good for your ceremony?"

"Listen to your mother," Moon rumbled, a hint of a purr in his tone. "She doesn't let up until you do what she wants."

Star glared at Moon, though she was only able to keep up the expression for a moment before it melted away into an affectionate one. "Moon, my dear, you are not helping in the slightest."

Dreamkit took advantage of Star's momentary lapse to escape. She stood up, letting the sun catch onto her sleek pelt, as silver and gleaming as a stream under moonlight.

Star sighed, surveying her daughter with love in her eyes. "You look lovely."

Moon gave Dreamkit a gentle lick. "You've grown so much," he meowed wistfully. "Now you'll be an apprentice…"

Dreamkit froze up suddenly, apprehension flooding her body. "What if I mess up the ceremony?"

Star shook her head. "There's nothing to mess up. Don't worry, sweetheart, you'll be fine."

Dreamkit nodded uncertainly, though her stomach felt like there were hundreds of butterflies trapped inside.

Moon glanced at the sky before getting to his paws. "We'd better get going if we want to get there on time."

He padded into the forest, Star following closely. With a final sigh, Dreamkit trotted after them, suddenly realizing that she was leaving her kithood behind.

* * *

Dreamkit sat in the clearing beside the Starpool, excitement and nervousness battling for control in her stomach. She watched as cats poured into the area, chattering and laughing, eyes shining with anticipation for what promised to be a very special ceremony.

_It's _my _ceremony they'll watch,_ Dreamkit thought proudly.

She watched with interest as Firestar and Bluestar entered, surrounded by a small knot of cats murmuring in low voices. Firestar soon withdrew from the huddle, looking distinctly disgruntled at something. Moon hurried to join the flame-pelted tom, who said something quietly that made Moon look extremely aggravated. Star watched quietly, pride and resignation mingling on her face.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Dreamkit was puzzled, and vaguely apprehensive.

_I wonder what that's about._

Her confusion didn't last long, however, as Bluestar let out a confident call, beginning the ceremony.

"In all the many, many, _many_ moons that StarClan has watched over the Clans, never has there been a day like today. Never has there been a mere kit who was taken into our ranks and raised by one of our own." Bluestar's icy blue eyes rested briefly on Star and Dreamkit, secrets shimmering brightly in their depths. "Yet now, we will apprentice this very same kit in a manner that is extremely…unique."

Dreamkit heard a faint growl coming from Star behind her. Moon said nothing, but unsheathed his claws and sank them into the soft dirt, as if he was imagining that he was digging his claws into whatever had offended him.

Suddenly, Dreamkit was nervous for the rest of the ceremony.

Bluestar turned to Dreamkit. "Dreamkit, from this moment on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Dreampaw."

The newly named Dreampaw purred proudly, eyes shining with delight.

Bluestar moved to address the rest of the gathered cats. "I have decided that no single cat will train Dreampaw. Instead, in order to gain as much from her training as possible, she will have multiple mentors, each assigned to teach her a different skill."

Whispers of shock rippled through the crowd. Dreampaw herself was in a daze; multiple mentors? Was she really _that _special? All the other cats she knew who had been apprentices had had only had one mentor. Some had even had to _share_ mentors with other apprentices. And now she was going to have lots of different mentors!

She watched in shock as multiple cats filed out of the throng: Mossfire, her brilliant yellow eyes gleaming with wisdom; Breezeheart, black and white pelt smooth; Silverstream, tail flicking restlessly; a former medicine cat named Grassfeather, the faint scent of herbs still clinging to her fur. The four went and stood beside Bluestar and Firestar, looking proud.

Bluestar beckoned Dreampaw with her tail. The apprentice obeyed, stumbling up to the cats and awkwardly touching noses with each of the four cats.

"They may not be the only ones to teach you skills, young one," Bluestar murmured in a low tone. "I will be teaching you as well."

Dreampaw's violet eyes widened, but she obediently touched her nose to Bluestar's.

Star and Moon took up a chant, though their purrs sounded slightly forced. "Dreampaw! Dreampaw! Dreampaw!"

Dreampaw could hear her kit friends squealing happily. "Dreampaw! Dreampaw! Dreampaw!"

Suddenly, Dreampaw was very proud of herself. She was only six moons old, yet she was an apprentice to many of StarClan's finest warriors.

She couldn't wait for training to begin.

* * *

Way out in the middle of the gathering of StarClan cats, Flowerkit snorted as she watched the vain Dreampaw grow even more self-important at the thought of having a unique apprenticeship.

_As if her ego needed any more inflating, _she thought.

* * *

Dreampaw happily trotted over to her mentor—no, _mentors_, she corrected herself, a shiver of anticipation running through her sleek silver pelt.

"What're we doing first?" she asked Bluestar eagerly.

Bluestar's icy blue eyes softened a little as she looked at the young cat. "Breezeheart will give you your first lesson," she meowed, flicking her tail towards the pretty young black-and-white warrior. "I would expect for her to show you around the deep forest, though frankly, I don't know what she has in mind. Remember, Breezeheart, that there will be a welcoming ceremony later."

Breezeheart purred quietly. "That's exactly what I had in mind, Bluestar."

"Let's go!" Dreampaw squealed, dashing away into the forest.

Breezeheart shook her head in amusement, and followed.

Dreampaw skidded to a stop out in the forest, violet eyes shining expectantly at Breezeheart.

Breezeheart chuckled and took the lead.

"You've already seen the Starpool," she meowed, padding next to the apprentice. "But there are other areas in the deep forest that hold just as much power."

Breezeheart suddenly turned sharply and brushed through a thick clump of ferns, Dreampaw padding right behind.

They emerged in a small, enclosed clearing, surrounded by tall trees, filled with thick, lush grass, small yellow and purple flowers dotting the ground. Strong cat-scent filled the air, drowning out even the fragrant scent of prey that filled the forest.

"This is a small meeting spot for the cats of StarClan, for whatever they need to talk about," Breezeheart meowed, watching as Dreampaw bounced around in the soft piles of grass.

Dreampaw stopped moving and looked at the StarClan cat. "What do they discuss?" she inquired, eyes displaying barely-concealed curiosity.

Breezeheart snorted. "Nice try."

Dreampaw drooped with disappointment. "I was _so close_ to figuring it out…"

Breezeheart purred. "Come on, let's go. We have plenty more to see, and there's the welcoming ceremony you might want to catch."

* * *

Dreampaw crouched in the undergrowth, involuntarily holding her breath a bit in excitement. Beside her crouched Breezeheart, eyes fixed on the happenings at the Starpool.

The Starpool was shimmering, churning and rippling, soft waves splashing on the grass. Many images flashed through its depths, wavering and overlapping and mixing in the water.

Dreampaw strained to see closer. She could make out the faint images now. With a start, she realized that they were scenes from a cat's life.

There was an image of a small gray kit mewling and squirming at a brown she-cat's belly. Overlapping it was an image of the same kit tumbling around in the dust with another black kit. There was a scene showing the gray cat stalking a mouse, another showing it sharing tongues with a ginger cat.

Dreampaw watched the images, entranced, as they played out the life story of that same gray cat that appeared in every ripple in the Starpool.

"Breezeheart," she hissed. "What's this ceremony doing, exactly?"

"Hush," Breezeheart chided gently, staring intently at a small group of cats beside the Starpool.

Dreampaw was burning with questions, but she bit her tongue and waited impatiently for something to happen.

She wasn't disappointed. Within moments, a slim gray she-cat climbed out of the Starpool, smooth water pouring off her glossy, thick pelt. She rushed forward to meet the cats waiting by the side of the pool, purring so loudly that Dreampaw could hear it even from her vantage point back in the forest.

One of the cats in the group stepped forward and murmured some unintelligible words in a low, rasping mew. The gray cat who had climbed from the Starpool nodded once, and suddenly her pelt was filled with sparkling stars.

Dreampaw gazed at the cats as they turned and raced away into the trees, before turning around to face Breezeheart. "What was that about?" she demanded.

Breezeheart stood up, stretching leisurely. "That was a welcoming ceremony," she yawned as she arched her back.

"Welcoming ceremony…for what?"

Breezeheart stared at Dreampaw as if the answer were obvious. "To welcome a cat to StarClan, of course."

Dreampaw rolled her eyes. "You could have just said that."

A sudden, sharp cuff on the ear sent Dreampaw toppling into the ferns.

"Hey!" the silver apprentice mewed indignantly, picking herself up. "What was that for?"

"Show some respect," Breezeheart snarled, her former relaxed expression all but vanished. "I am many, many, _many_ moons older than you are, and I am mentoring you now. You had better learn to hold your tongue, or I will have you doing unpleasant chores for a moon."

"You can't do that," Dreampaw muttered rebelliously.

"Oh, yes, I can," Breezeheart retorted, turning away. "You're not so special that you are exempt from punishment, Dreampaw. You need to learn that."

Without waiting for another word, Breezeheart whipped around and stalked into the undergrowth, her black-and-white pelt ruffled around her shoulders. A barely perceptible, irritated flick of her tail was the only indication that she wanted the new apprentice to follow.

Grumbling under her breath, Dreampaw disappeared into the undergrowth after her mentor.

* * *

**Oh, yes, that's right, Dreamkit is now Dreampaw!**

**If I made any typos, please tell me, because I'm afraid that I wrote Breezeheart as Breeze****_storm_**** several times while writing this chapter. For those who don't know, Breezestorm is one of my favorite RP characters in my forum. I edited my work multiple times, but you never know.**

**I tried to incorporate a bit of humor into this chapter. See if you can catch it. I don't know how well I succeeded...**

**Please review and give me that motivation to not epically fail in my update schedule again. :)**

**-Moongazer**


	10. The Beginning

**Yes, I'm finally updating, and no, you aren't seeing things. It's true. ;3**

**So, yes. After nearly two months, welcome back to Dreampaw's world.**

**As for ****_why_**** I've taken so long...let's just say that life was trying to eat me alive. And this chapter was hard to write because I had to write it in two parts. And then I lost some of each part when the word processor froze up. . But hey, if I had updated sooner, you wouldn't have gotten this fantastically long chapter that is probably the best I can make it right now. :D**

**And who knows, maybe I'll have more time to update now that summer is only a few weeks away!**

**Now, since I haven't updated for so long, and I have so many reviews (love you guys), I'm just going to do some review replies here. I probably won't do these every chapter, maybe just when I have tons of reviews and haven't updated for a while.**

**Mossy: You're welcome. :3 *tosses Mossfire plushie***

**Stormeh: Yay, I updated! XD I'm so bad at updating. *tosses Dreampaw plushie***

**Shout: Okay, good. :D *tosses Star plushie just 'cause***

**Rain: Yeah, I know that -Clan is always capitalized, but for the first few chapter, being a newbie, I forgot. XD *tosses Dreampaw plushie***

**Big Gray (Guest): Awwww, thank you so much! Your encouragement really means a lot to me. And for Dreampaw's name (those are all ****_great_**** suggestions, by the way) it won't be quite so exotic. XD I have something a little more normal in mind.**

**Firestarlover123: Here's your update! *tosses Dreampaw plushie***

**MusicLover500: Why, thank you! *tosses Star plushie***

**Gray: Your choice, sistah. x3 But I'm glad you like it. *tosses Dreampaw plushie***

**Silverwind1313: Thank you so much! And I will use Silverleaf later on in the story. *tosses Silverleaf plushie***

**Joy: I'm glad you like it. :3 Here's the update, and your plushie. *tosses Star plushie***

**Well, now that that's sorted out, please enjoy this lovely long chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, and obviously I am not Erin Hunter, because last time I checked, I was not four women. Just one girl who loves to write but has sporadic updates.**

* * *

"What now?" Dreampaw complained, stumbling through the lush forest of StarClan. "I'm so _tired_."

"Almost there," Grassfeather answered mildly, brushing past a thick clump of vividly colored flowers.

Dreampaw tried to follow, but her paw caught on a root, causing her to go tumbling head over paws, straight into a tree.

"Ouch," Dreampaw muttered, rubbing her head with a paw.

An amused purr came from Grassfeather, as she stood a little way off, halfway through a narrow gap between two bushes. "Maybe you should _look_ where you're going."

Dreampaw pulled herself to her paws and shook her fur out irritably. "Let's just go to wherever we're going."

Grassfeather chuckled, slipping between the bushes and out of sight. Dreampaw hurried behind her, trying to ignore the brambles that snagged in her long silver fur.

With a final tug, she forced her way out of the bushes and landed with a thump on the hard, packed dirt, scattering a pile of shredded, dirty leaves everywhere.

Grassfeather, who had been rummaging around in a gap in the roots of a tree, turned around at the noise and noticed where the apprentice had landed.

"Dreampaw!" she scolded. "You messed up the pile of trash that I just swept up!"

Dreampaw looked at the leaves guiltily. "Oops."

Grassfeather looked irritated. "Clean it up."

Dreampaw sighed in resignation, sweeping her plumy tail around the ground resentfully to sweep the leaves up before scrabbling them into a messy pile with her paws.

"That's better," Grassfeather mewed finally, after watching the sullen apprentice work at cleaning for a while.

Dreampaw sighed in relief, shaking the remaining scraps off of her dusty tail before sitting down on the hard earth.

Grassfeather pushed several piles of leaves out of the shadows towards Dreampaw. "The first thing I want you to understand right now is that I am a medicine cat."

Dreampaw nodded, already feeling sleepy.

"I will be teaching you how to heal. Which means that there will not be much moving about, but I still expect full alertness from you."

Dreampaw kept nodding.

Amiable Grassfeather seemed satisfied by the response. "Good. Now," she gestured towards the neat piles of leaves in front of Dreampaw, "tell me what differences you see in these leaves."

Dreampaw forced herself to look at the leaves. They seemed identical to her; all dark green with paler lines running through, a few slightly dried at the edges.

"I don't know," she mumbled finally. "They're all the same."

This time, Grassfeather was _not _happy with the answer. "Wrong. Dead wrong. Look closely at these, Dreampaw. Look at the _subtle_ differences, the ones that you won't see with one glance."

Dreampaw obediently looked at the leaves.

Grassfeather rolled her eyes. "And get that sleepy look off your face."

Dreampaw didn't hear, too caught up in boredom and fatigue.

Grassfeather smacked her tail across Dreampaw's nose. "Wake up!"

The quick movement jolted Dreampaw out of her reverie, driving every last vestige of boredom out of her mind. Suddenly she had no problem paying attention.

"That's better," Grassfeather purred. "Now, look at those leaves closely and tell me the differences."

Dreampaw turned her gaze to the leaves, focusing on the subtleties this time. Quickly, the differences began jumping out at her. One type of the leaves had small, spiked edges. Another had a fuzzy surface. A third was smooth and glossy.

Dreampaw spoke up again, tentatively telling Grassfeather what she saw.

Grassfeather was happy this time. "Very good. Now we can really start learning."

As the afternoon wore on, Dreampaw's exhaustion did not fade, but she managed to repeat back to Grassfeather all the information that was told to her. She mindlessly reeled off a small list of herbs and their uses over and over until they were imprinted into her mind. As she walked back to the main StarClan camp, that was all she could hear as well, just the names of the different leaves and how they could heal.

She finally neared a huge round bush and pushed her way inside. A group of StarClan apprentices was gathered in the corner, whispering and giggling cheerfully.

"Hi," Dreampaw meowed tiredly. "What's up?"

A pretty golden she-cat named Birdpaw poked her head out of the huddle. "Oh, there you are, Dreampaw!" she purred. "I was beginning to think that you'd never get here."

Dreampaw looked around. "Am I going to stay here while I'm an apprentice?" she asked curiously.

Birdpaw nodded. "Yes. We're your new denmates!"

"And we're going to have so much fun!" a black tom named Shadepaw meowed from his nest on the other side of the den.

The rest of the apprentices burst into giggles, as if they were in on a secret that Dreampaw didn't know. She stood in the corner of the den, feeling awkward as she watched the other apprentices titter.

Birdpaw shot the others a glare that would have made a pool of water burst into flame.

They quieted instantly. Birdpaw clearly had enough authority over them for them to respect her word and obey her immediately.

"Come on," she mewed cheerfully to Dreampaw, though there was a darker feeling showing in her eyes. "My nest is over there. The one next to it is empty."

Dreampaw nodded, stumbling awkwardly over to the empty nest and dropping into it gratefully. "Thanks."

Birdpaw nodded in response, slipping out of the den quickly and quietly.

Dreampaw stared after Birdpaw. "Where's she going?" she mewed to the other apprentices, confusion evident in her voice.

The background buzz of the cats' laughing grew even louder, as if determined to drown her out.

Dreampaw snorted in annoyance, lowering her head and snuggling into her nest. Normally she would have rebelled outright at being ignored like that, but her legs were aching, her paws were sore, her eyes weren't staying open, and she had already forgotten most of what Grassfeather had taught her.

When Birdpaw came back into the den with a vole a few moments later, Dreampaw had already fallen asleep.

* * *

"Dreampaw," a voice hissed urgently, prodding the sleeping apprentice with an outstretched paw. "Dreampaw, wake up."

Dreampaw blearily opened one violet eye. "Wha-a-at?"

Mossfire's yellow eyes glowed. "You've been asleep since morning. It's just past sunhigh. Get up."

Dreampaw moaned in annoyance and wrapped her tail around her nose. "I want to sleep, though," she complained. "I haven't been sleeping that long!"

"So?" Mossfire retorted, shaking the apprentice some more. "Training time."

"I already trained today!"

"Well, it's time for _my_ lesson. So, get up."

"Fine," Dreampaw grumbled, standing up and shaking moss out of her ruffled silver pelt.

Mossfire nudged the vole that Birdpaw had brought earlier. "Eat up fast. We're going out to the deep forest again."

Dreampaw pulled the vole towards her without complaint and devoured it in a few swift bites. Mossfire sat by, watching the apprentice while she absently ran her tongue over her paw.

In the moment that the last scrap vanished, Mossfire turned and padded out of the den, flicking her tail for the apprentice to follow. Dreampaw got to her paws quickly, running after Mossfire and trying to blink the heaviness out of her eyes.

Mossfire made no allowances for Dreampaw, keeping up a swift, steady pace as she nimbly leaped over stones and wove through the undergrowth. Dreampaw stumbled after her, paws catching on the ground and sleep still fogging her mind.

Before long, Dreampaw could see the huge, lush deep forest of StarClan in front of her. She veered off to the side, thinking that Mossfire must have brought her to the forest so they could have the lesson at the enchanted pool.

She was surprised by the not-so-pleasant sensation of teeth roughly grabbing her scruff and pulling her along.

"You are _supposed_ to follow me," Mossfire growled, baring her cracked yellow teeth at the small apprentice.

"Oops," Dreampaw muttered guiltily.

Mossfire rolled her eyes, but didn't deign to answer, choosing instead to whip around and bound into the forest, leaving Dreampaw to scramble to her paws and run after her mentor.

Mossfire did not bother to slow down or take a reasonable pace as she ran through the forest, so Dreampaw was left to run with ragged breath, thorns snagging in her pelt, weeds whipping her face, and paws that sent jolts of discomfort, almost pain, through her legs.

Soon they were in a part of the forest that Dreampaw had never seen before. The trees were taller and more ominous, somehow. The shadows were deeper and darker, and the sun didn't seem to shine quite so brightly.

But Dreampaw was comforted by the realization that everything, despite being darker and scarier than the rest of the forest, was still glimmering with tiny stars.

Mossfire finally came to an abrupt halt in a small, sandy patch of ground next to a small trickle of water that could hardly be called a creek. Dreampaw skidded to an ungainly stop next to her, relieved to take the chance to catch her breath and let her aching paws dangle in the cool water.

Mossfire sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws and fixing Dreampaw with her luminous yellow gaze.

"Listen well," she murmured. "This is a very important lesson that I am about to tell you."

Dreampaw nodded, only half listening.

Mossfire began immediately, forcing Dreampaw to listen. Unlike her previous lessons, in which she had been running around or using her memory as well as she could, Mossfire seemed to be telling a story, like the old elders' tales that Dreampaw had liked to listen to as a kit.

_"When the kit opened his eyes, the ground was said to have shaken, the stars were said to flicker out, and the moon was rumored to have gone the deepest red any cat had ever seen, like a pool of crimson blood._

_The medicine cat knew in his heart that it was an omen. Some peril was going to come to the Clans, because of one single cat. He knew it would be the kit, that single one who opened his eyes that night, for the kit opened his eyes at the very same moment that the world seemed to quake and turn upside down._

_The kit's eyes were violet."_

At this, Dreampaw's head jerked up and she stared at Mossfire suspiciously, as if the older she-cat was planning something but she didn't know quite what it was.

_Why is she telling me this?_ she wondered silently.

Mossfire continued with her story, not even acknowledging Dreampaw's reaction.

_"His mother was smitten the moment her kit turned out to be different. She was ecstatic that her precious only kit was special. She soon convinced herself that it was her tiny son's destiny to become the greatest leader in the forest one day._

_But the medicine cat thought otherwise._

_For one reason or another, he felt compelled to tell the new mother about the impending doom of the Clans. He knew that this little, fuzzy, golden-furred kit with strange violet eyes would not grow up to be so innocent. He knew that beyond any vestige of doubt, and distrust of the newborn kitten grew in his heart._

_But his encounter with the kit's mother did not turn out well._

_He told her in a quiet voice about the shaking earth and the disappearing stars and the blood-red moon. He murmured that the strange events had coincided with the exact moment that the tiny kit had opened his eyes._

_He told her that it was a dark omen for the kit. His future was cast in shadow, and with it, the fate of the Clans._

_But the kit's mother would not listen. Her beautiful, special son was going to be great one day, she said firmly. The mere idea of the impending doom of the Clans was so ridiculous to her–and so horrifying, for she knew that the medicine cat had never been wrong about an omen–that she laughed crazily at the medicine cat, told him that he was losing his wits, and refused to let him anywhere near her unusual son. She named the kit Lightningkit for his golden pelt and the spark she had felt running through her when she first saw his eyes._

_And she continually boasted to the rest of the Clan about her beloved Lightningkit, fantasizing about the great day to come when she would be the revered mother of a great leader named Lightningstar."_

Dreampaw could not keep her eyes off of Mossfire now. Her gaze was riveted to her mentor, and she could not make her paws move or even make her ears twitch. Her mind was wholly focused on the story now, and she was desperate to hear more.

_"Lightningkit grew up with a doting mother, spoiled past the belief of his Clanmates, and was always given everything he wanted. His mother was just as ambitious for him as she had been the day he was born, but she did not push him, being at least wise enough to realize that he couldn't become a leader as a kit. So instead, she fawned over him as if he was the greatest gift StarClan could give (which to her, he was) and obeyed his lightest wish. Of course, this affected Lightningkit, and he soon grew vain and lazy, with a steadfast belief that other cats, like his mother, were only there to serve him._

_The day came when Lightningkit was to be apprenticed. His mother let him sleep as long as he wanted, finally waking him up barely before his ceremony at sunhigh. She gave him a fierce grooming, for once not listening to his complaints, smoothing his golden fur until she claimed it shone like the lightning he was named for, though to everyone else, his fur just looked sodden with his mother's spit._

_Lightningkit spent the first part of the ceremony in an excited fervor, barely keeping himself contained. His mother was even more puffed up with pride than he was, determined that Lightningkit would be mentored by the deputy or the leader, or else they would never stop hearing her complaints._

_Lightningkit's mentor was indeed the deputy, a young and pretty but very stern she-cat, one of the best warriors in the camp. Lightningkit's mother was elated that her kit's mentor was second in command of the whole Clan, failing to realize that the only real reason that Lightningkit got the deputy as a mentor was because every single other warrior had an apprentice or was too young to train one._

_The next few moons of training were grueling for the lazy apprentice. His mentor wouldn't tolerate any nonsense at all from Lightningpaw, and made him run across the territory and back every time he dared to disobey her or cross her, for he had an obstinate nature, and she was trying to work some respect and obedience into him._

_However, six full moons of being in the habit of acting as a spoiled brat did not come undone easily. Lightningpaw grew stronger and stronger, his warrior skills improved quickly, and he was no longer as dour and unpleasant._

_But though he appeared to improve, he was as selfish and unconcerned about anyone but himself as his mother had taught him to be. Now that he was suddenly being pushed and pushed to become a great warrior to fulfill his mother's own ambitions, he grew bitter against everyone and hardened his heart to the cats who were trying to break him out of his laziness and into a good warrior._

_As the time went on, Lightningpaw's mother stopped fawning over him and instead became colder and sterner, making Lightningpaw do the work for her instead of her doing work for him as she used to. She refused to praise Lightningpaw until he outshone the other apprentices in some exercise or another, which wasn't agreeable at all. Now Lightningpaw had to do all the work for her as she had done for him when he was a kit. He grew to dislike his mother even more._

_But he couldn't ignore the seeds she planted in his heart, of an ambition to become a leader, no matter the cost. He was quickly realizing that no one in the Clan truly liked him for who he was, and there was no one who would ever support him on his path to leadership._

_So if the path to leadership was drenched in blood, he thought, so be it."_

Mossfire suddenly stopped talking and glanced nervously at the sky. Dreampaw was on the point of demanding why Mossfire had stopped, when she noticed where her mentor was looking and followed her gaze. A single wispy cloud was floating over the surface of the moon.

_Surely this can't be anything unusual,_ Dreampaw mused, growing more puzzled every moment.

However, she was convinced that this was not anything normal when Mossfire leaped to her paws and raced off into the forest. Suddenly panicked, Dreampaw sprinted after her, fervently hoping that she wouldn't get lost as she maneuvered blindly through the undergrowth after her mentor.

Mossfire stopped running at the border of the deep forest of StarClan, where the vast green meadows and sparser forests stretched out as far as Dreampaw could see.

"Mossfire," Dreampaw panted. "What's going on? Why did you stop? Why did we leave?"

Mossfire took several moments to respond. When she did, she looked straight at Dreampaw, her yellow stare hard as stone and filled with the darkness of some unimaginable secret.

She spoke three words before turning and vanishing into the forest again.

"It has begun."

* * *

**And that, my dear readers, marks the start of the ****_real_**** action of the story. I promise you, the next chapter is where things really start to heat up.**

**Let's see if I can update within two weeks.**

**Please review!**


	11. Fading

**I had an interesting thought as I was revising this chapter; Dreampaw bears a striking resemblance to Naughty Nan from ****_Jo's Boys,_**** by Louisa May Alcott. It's one of my favorite books; I've read it countless times. :D Like Nan, Dreampaw is pretty mischievous at times, and sometimes is apt to forget the welfare of others, but she's pretty generous and very caring and likeable. But the main defining trait that sets the two apart is Dreampaw's more stuck-up nature.**

**Now, moving on. This update was quicker than the others, and though I'll admit that it wasn't the fastest, this chapter will probably be well worth the wait. But one of the reasons it took so long? My word processor hates me. That's probably my fault though. I haven't shut this thing down completely for weeks, so it's slowing down a lot. But still...**

**I realized the other day that I'm only on chapter 11, yet it's been nearly six months since the story was begun. D: I'm going much too slowly. I'm gonna have to step up my game if I ever want to finish this story. But I've also been having these random moments of inspiration, which are quite nice, as they're providing the details and finer points for the upcoming events in the story.**

**And finally, I did the math today for my review count. Y'know, current review count minus review count before the last chapter equals total reviews for the last chapter. I swear that the number made my month. You want to know? Here's the math: 87-63=24. ****_24 reviews._****_  
_**

**I love you guys. :3 Thank you so, so much. I honestly couldn't ask for more love from my readers.**

**Now, undoubtedly, you've gotten bored reading my rambling, so let's just get on with the next installment of Dreampaw's story.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Warriors, the series would've had some more creative names, plotholes would be taken care of, and Daisy wouldn't be so completely and utterly ****_useless_****. So, obviously I don't own anything but my story.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Half a moon had passed since Dreampaw's first day of apprenticeship. Half a moon had passed since she had had three separate lessons from three separate cats, the last one ending half-finished, with a single sentence thrown at her before Mossfire disappeared back into the forest.

She hadn't seemed the same since.

For one thing, Dreampaw hadn't had a single lesson from Mossfire since that first day, so she had gotten no chances to ask for the rest of the story, due to the rest of her lessons keeping her busy. Now, Mossfire tended to skulk in the shadows or sit and think by herself, a glazed look in her eyes or an apprehensive one on her face.

But Dreampaw hadn't had much time to ponder that. She was constantly kept on her paws by her multiple mentors, and she was beginning to think that maybe having so many different teachers wasn't so great after all.

She was frequently taken out for battle training and hunting lessons. Bluestar and Breezeheart relentlessly tossed her new moves, then drilled her and drilled her until she mastered them. Then she would have to review all the moves she had learned recently, and spar with other StarClan apprentices until she improved noticeably. And finally, they'd repeat the cycle. Dreampaw knew it was a good way to learn, but it was also slowly wearing her out.

Hunting lessons were much easier for her, prey being abundant in StarClan. Dreampaw never had trouble locating any prey, which made it extremely easy to hunt, since the prey was slow and fat and rustling in every corner.

But the half-moon of long training sessions had seemed to drag on and on and on, stretching the days until Dreampaw felt as if she would collapse on her paws and not be able to get up.

She never told Star this, but her adopted mother knew something was up with the training, and worry was evident on her face every time Dreampaw managed to sneak a couple of moments to talk to her.

Finally, the half-moon was ending, and the day Dreampaw had been looking forward to arrived: her rest day. The one day every half-moon or so when she would not have to train or learn or do any chores, but could rest and play with her friends.

The morning dawned bright and clear, like all other StarClan days. Dreampaw was woken by a shaft of sunlight streaming through the walls of the den that she shared with the other apprentices. Normally this would have irritated her, but today she was excited, any exhaustion disappearing in the inviting prospect of having a whole day to herself to do as she pleased.

She got to her paws and arched her back, leisurely stretching in the warm, golden light of the sun, before shaking out her fur carelessly and bounding out of the den, a new energy running through her body.

The moment she stepped out of the den, she went down under a whirlwind of differently colored fur, loud squeals ringing in her ears and bright eyes gleaming at her as she lay, winded, on her back.

"You get a day off! You get a day off!" Leafkit squeaked happily, jumping around on Dreampaw's belly, completely oblivious to the pained _oof_s Dreampaw was making every time the little kit leaped.

"Yes—_oof_—Leafkit, I get a—_oof_—day off," Dreampaw managed to purr. "Now—_oof_—please get off—_oof_—of me so—_oof_—_Leafkit, stop jumping!_"

Leafkit allowed herself to roll off of Dreampaw. "Sorry," she mewed apologetically.

Creekkit butted into the conversation. "Are you gonna spend the day with us?"

Dreampaw heaved herself to her paws. "At least part of it, yeah."

Glowkit frowned. "Not all?"

Dreampaw shrugged. "Well, I have other friends, you know…"

Brownkit was standing to the side, pouting. "But we were your _first _friends!"

Dreampaw was suddenly aware that she sounded selfish and uncaring to the kits. They had, after all, been her first friends in StarClan, and she loved them all dearly. How could she refuse to spend as much time as she could with them?

She sighed. "Okay, I'll make a compromise with you. You four get my entire morning—"

"_Yes!_" Leafkit crowed, tumbling around Dreampaw's feet excitedly.

"—but then I'm going to go spend some time with Star and Moon and my other friends. And if I have any more time at the end of the day, I'll come back and find you. Deal?"

The four kits nodded vigorously, and Dreampaw was quite pleased with herself.

Then she frowned. _Wait, aren't there supposed to be five of them?_

"Where's Blazekit gone?"

The four kits burst into giggles. "He got in trouble," Glowkit laughed. "He was pranking his mother, but she caught him, so now he has to spend the morning with all the grumpy old cats."

Dreampaw's whiskers twitched in amusement. "I'll go find him later. For now, what do you want to do?"

The four little kits exchanged mischievous glances.

Dreampaw was suddenly aware that she was missing something. "What? What are you looking like that for?"

The four kits tackled her to the ground, and she had no more chances to talk.

* * *

Dreampaw wandered through the grassy, gently rolling hills, passing by clumps of flowers and thickly leaved bushes from which issued the sounds of talking cats. The entire area was very familiar to Dreampaw—she had, after all, spent a large amount of time playing in StarClan's main camp—but the cat she was looking for was nowhere to be found, even in all the most or least likely spots.

Dreampaw frowned thoughtfully. _Where could she be?_

Lost in thought as she was, she didn't notice the eyes gleaming out of the shadows at her until the cat to whom they belonged let out a high-pitched squeal and rammed into her side in a ball of golden fur.

"Blazekit!" Dreampaw purred, bending over to lick the little tom between the ears.

Blazekit reached up to touch his nose to her cheek. "Hi. Did I miss anything important?" His eyes were mildly anxious; Dreampaw guessed that he didn't want to be left out of play time with the other kits.

Dreampaw chuckled. "No, you didn't really miss anything. Do you want to come with me?"

"Where?"

"I'm looking for Flowerkit, but I don't know where she is."

Blazekit pondered the question for a moment. "Uh…sure. Are we gonna go search?"

Dreampaw nodded. "I've been searching, but I can't find her anywhere."

Blazekit frowned. "Did you try the secret place?"

Dreampaw brightened up. "No, I haven't. Let's go!"

She ran off through the bushes, leaving Blazekit to pelt after her, puffing and panting as he struggled to keep up.

After a few moments, Dreampaw halted in front of a long, low group of plants with huge, glossy leaves that left lots of space underneath. She could hear the low murmur of voices and the occasional shriek of laughter.

_Maybe Flowerkit's in there!_

Dreampaw slid underneath the leaves, keeping her belly to the ground as she wove through the stems and into a sheltered open space where two or three cats were sitting and chatting. Blazekit clumsily stumbled into the space next to Dreampaw, who was scanning the space hopefully.

The cats looked up. "Hi, Dreampaw," one mewed in a friendly tone. "Do you need something?"

"No thanks," Dreampaw meowed distractedly. "I'm looking for Flowerkit. Have you seen her anywhere?"

Another cat shrugged. "Nope. I haven't seen her since this morning. I thought she was heading towards the meadows, though. Maybe you should check there."

Dreampaw nodded. "Thanks!"

Without another word, she dashed out of the bush, Blazekit wailing for her to wait up as he ran as quickly as he could after the silver apprentice.

They wove through the lush trees and undergrowth, tall ferns trailing their feather fronds across their backs as they made their way towards the grassy hills.

"Why're you so desperate to find her?" Blazekit gasped as he ran.

"Because," Dreampaw answered, leaping easily over a rock, "she was really irritated last time I saw her, because I hadn't visited her in several days, so she made me promise to show up on my rest day or she'd never talk to me again."

Blazekit nodded but didn't open his mouth again, too preoccupied with trying not to trip while he ran with Dreampaw.

They finally swerved around a group of trees and emerged on the crest of a hill, looking out over the rippling green waves of grass while the soft breeze tousled their fur.

The hills were seemingly empty, devoid of any cats. Dreampaw narrowed her eyes and glared at the hills, as though they had offended her. Something wasn't right. Flowerkit was _never, ever_ that hard to find.

A young voice echoed loudly through the air. "What's that?"

Dreampaw turned at the sound of Blazekit's voice carrying through the breeze, just in time to see him pointing a paw at the shape of a cat bending over another figure a hill away.

The figure had obviously heard him, as it turned and seemed to glare in their general direction. All three cats froze for a second, but Dreampaw squinted her eyes and just managed to make out the color of the cat's pelt.

It was black and white.

And the shape next to it…looked strangely like a cat.

A white cat.

Just as quickly as it had come, the moment was shattered and the black-and-white cat raced away, soon disappearing from sight behind the rippling grass.

But the figure on the grass lay motionless, seeming to grow slowly faded as the moments passed.

Dreampaw was suddenly filled with a sense of dread. _Oh, no. No, no, no…this can't be._

She found herself sprinting over the grass, the sky and distant trees and rolling hills blurring into a long stretch. Her vision was tunneling; all she could see was the fading white shape lying on the grass. She barely heard Blazekit's frantic calls behind her, begging her to wait for him. The apprehension was flooding through her body, making her paws fly faster yet dragging them down, as if stones with wings were attached to her legs instead of her paws.

Gasping for breath, she struggled up the hill to the white shape, which she could now see was a cat. A small cat too, the size of an older kit, but not big enough yet to be an apprentice.

Dreampaw threw herself to the ground next to the kit, eyes frantically searching the kit's face. It was a moment before she realized that the face was familiar.

_Too_ familiar.

"Flowerkit?" she breathed, disbelief and shock evident in her voice and gleaming in her eyes. Her friend was silent, motionless, her amber eyes half closed and mouth hanging open slightly. There was a gaping wound on her neck, but it was silver, and something clear and shimmery seemed to be slowly drifting out of the wound and into the sky.

_She's fading_, Dreampaw thought hazily. _Some cat did this to her._

Dreampaw didn't know how or when it happened, but suddenly Mossfire was by her side, yellow eyes dark and troubled. "I knew it," the older she-cat muttered brokenly, gently brushing her paw against Flowerkit's head. The kit was fading more quickly now; already a lot of the white had leached out of her fur. "It happened. It has begun, just like I thought."

Dreampaw could not take her eyes off the sight of her StarClan friend dying slowly, but she managed to force out a few words. "What's happening? You knew this would come?"

Mossfire took a few moments to respond; she sounded just as agonized as Dreampaw felt. "No. Not exactly…I knew—I knew something was coming. Something bad, maybe, but never—never like this. Never…" she trailed off, staring at Flowerkit for a moment before turning towards the distant forest and letting out an earsplitting yowl.

Before Dreampaw could register what was happening, there was a small group of cats around her; they were mostly the cats closest to her. She faintly recognized Star, Moon, Breezeheart, Bluestar, and Firestar; Silverstream was there, and, for some reason, Leafkit and Glowkit were present, along with Birdpaw. All looked extremely distressed, but Dreampaw felt as though a cat was tearing at her heart with its claws as she watched one of her closest friends fade painfully slowly and yet much too quickly in front of her.

Finally, there was a small flash of light, and a quiet sound, almost like a tiny sigh. Flowerkit's body evaporated into a shimmering silver mist that quickly floated away on the gentle breeze. All that was left was a tuft of star-covered white fur, a tiny pool of silver, and the painful memory of Flowerkit's sudden final death.

Dreampaw turned around jerkily and faced the group of cats. "Why—" she faltered, but began again. "Why did this happen? Who?"

Moon's face was grave. "It's a fact of living in StarClan, sweetheart," he meowed in his deep, rumbling voice. "We all fade away, sooner or later."

Dreampaw shook her head. "No, no, but isn't that unintentional?"

A stunned silence followed as the cats tried to wrap their minds around what had happened.

Breezeheart broke the uneasy tension. "Why do you ask?" she asked, though the heaviness in her voice indicated that she had already guessed the answer to Dreampaw's questions and was deeply grieved by it.

Dreampaw suddenly felt like there was a rock in her throat. She couldn't breathe easily, she couldn't swallow, she felt as if grief was dragging her in over her head, suffocating her. She instead looked at Mossfire, begging her to explain, since she knew that she had seen the wound on Flowerkit's neck.

Mossfire's voice was quiet and weak. "Flowerkit was killed."

Shock rippled through the assembled cats.

Mossfire continued, "There were bite marks on her neck. They could only have been made by a cat."

Dreampaw let out a strangled noise, and everyone turned their attention to her.

She attempted to explain. "I was on the hill, and I saw—I saw a black and white cat bending over Flowerkit. It saw me and Blazekit, and it—it ran away."

She felt a sudden pressure on her side, and looked down to see Blazekit pressed to her flank, eyes wide with fright. "I don't want to fade," he wailed. "I don't want to be like Flowerkit!"

"Hush," Leafkit whispered. "You'll be fine. Don't worry."

Blazekit didn't look satisfied, but his whimpers subsided into quiet mewls.

Silverstream looked around, apparently noticing that there were black-and-white cats in the crowd. "It could be any cat. Who knows which world they belong to?"

Mossfire stayed as cool and calm as stone throughout the whole exchange. "We need a meeting," she said simply, eyeing Breezeheart and Star with a mistrustful look. "Something needs to happen."

Star glared right back at Mossfire. A tense moment ensued, _almost like a battle of wills_, Dreampaw thought apprehensively.

Moon carefully shattered the tension by stepping between the two hostile she-cats. "The younger cats need to stay out of this meeting. We'll meet back at the Starpool, as it always is."

Dreampaw glanced back at the spot where Flowerkit had faded. "Can I stay here for a little while?"

Star began to shake her head, but Birdpaw broke in. "I'll stay with her and make sure she's safe," the apprentice assured Star. "I think she needs this."

Star glanced uncertainly at the two apprentices, but finally conceded, seeing the shock and grief dulling Dreampaw's bright violet eyes. She nodded slowly, and started off towards the forest, the rest of the cats following her. Soon they had all disappeared over the next hill, and Dreampaw was alone with Birdpaw.

Birdpaw simply moved a small distance away to give Dreampaw some space, and both she-cats sat with their heads bowed and eyes half-closed, pondering the tragic turn of events and wondering why it had to result in a fading.

_Why you, Flowerkit?_ Dreampaw thought sadly, tracing a paw around the clump of white fur that remained on the ground. _I know that you didn't have many friends, that so many cats thought you were snooty or that you weren't fun to be around, but we had such good times together._

She shifted so she was resting her head on her paws, eyes fixed on the grass but mind whirling. _Who could have done this? Who_ would_ have done this?_

Horror set into Dreampaw's mind at a new idea, fueled by the distress of the day and the all-consuming fear that this was not a one-time event.

_Could it have been a living cat? Or even one of the evil cats from the Place of No Stars, like Moon told me about? I thought they weren't supposed to be able to cross over into StarClan, and that it was secure here…_

Dreampaw's mind suddenly went blank with fright.

_What if…what if the cat was from here? What if it was one of us?_

* * *

**Yes, another cliffie. That's how evil I am. ;3**

**Please review! (And when you're reviewing this time, see if you can include some constructive criticism. If there's nothing you can find that needs improvement, say ****_what_**** you liked about the chapter. Please? I really want to improve my amateur writing. That includes knowing what I do well and what I should do better.)**

**Hopefully I'll update soon, but no guarantees. Gah, I can't wait for summer so I can have all the time I want to write. D:**


	12. The Meeting

**Yes, I'm alive and finally showed some initiative and finished this very-long-overdue chapter!**

**No comment on my not bothering to finish this despite not having anything to do all summer. I'm planning to get back into writing this fanfic come September, when school starts. **

**I'm horribly sorry for not updating sooner. I won't be able to update again for at least three weeks, but I wanted to get this out before I go out of town. And yes, I do plan to finish this fic. One day.**

**A huge thank you to all the great people who have reviewed and haven't given up on this fanfic. Crossing 100 reviews made me so amazingly happy. :DDDDD**

**So, yep. Welcome back to Dreampaw's world after the very long wait. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Dreampaw spent several long moments letting the agonizing idea sink into her mind, allowing it to meld with her suspicions until the notion had rooted itself so deeply that it couldn't be ignored. It quickly spawned more and more questions, churning through Dreampaw's head.

She could only think of one way to get them answered.

Dreampaw raised her head, furtively glancing around to make sure the coast was clear. The quick movement attracted the attention of Birdpaw, who promptly inquired as to what Dreampaw was planning.

"Something," Dreampaw replied vaguely, pulling herself to her paws and padding off down the hill.

"That's not an answer," Birdpaw retorted, catching up to Dreampaw in a few swift leaps and following the younger apprentice.

Dreampaw quickened her pace, attempting to outrun Birdpaw, but the older apprentice simply matched her footsteps, easily staying by her side.

Dreampaw hissed in exasperation and came to an abrupt halt. "What do you want? I'm trying to go somewhere, you know."

Birdpaw met Dreampaw's gaze evenly. "I'm coming with you. And don't pull that face at me," she added, seeing the indignation plain on Dreampaw's face. "I'm coming whether you like it or not. There could be a killer on the loose here. You want to meet Flowerkit's fate too?"

Dreampaw huffed. "Fine. You can come." She spun around and stalked off, muttering angrily under her breath. Birdpaw remained calm, trotting behind Dreampaw at a steady pace. The duo made their way across the gently rolling hills, and Dreampaw quickly led the way into the forest.

She didn't stop, though. Instead, she kept moving. If anything, her pace was faster, and it was leading the two cats straight into the deep forest.

"Dreampaw, where are we going?" Birdpaw said uneasily.

Dreampaw tossed a curt reply over her shoulder. "The Starpool."

Birdpaw hastened forward, now running alongside Dreampaw. "Are you crazy?" she hissed. "There's a meeting there, with all the older cats, and it's supposed to be top se–oh. You want to listen in, don't you?"

It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, I do," Dreampaw said matter-of-factly, as if she was simply going to find a mouse to eat. "There's going to be a whole lot of information at this meeting. They're going to be talking about all the little details that they would never share with me. But I want to know what is going on. No, I need to know. One of my best friends just _faded_._ I saw the cat who killed her_. I will not back down until I find the culprit and make him pay."

Birdpaw opened her mouth to argue, but shut it just as quickly. There was a stubborn glint in Dreampaw's eyes. Birdpaw had seen that look before, on other cats. That look meant that Birdpaw could reason as much as she wanted, but Dreampaw had the drive to get to the bottom of the matter, and nothing was going to change her mind.

Birdpaw quietly closed her mouth and followed Dreampaw into the forest, the fur along her back lifting apprehensively.

* * *

"Why did I listen to you, again?" Birdpaw grumbled, pawing a branch aside so she could squint through the bush at the Starpool.

Normally the pool glittered like starlight, and images of the Clans' territories pulsated gently in its depths. Now, however, no windy hills or churning rivers rippled on the surface. Now, all the images seemed dark, with small flashes of dull color here and there. Occasionally a cat would dip a paw in, and some of the pictures would change.

Dreampaw chose to ignore Birdpaw's question. "I can't see those pictures from here," she whispered. "Let's try to get closer. And maybe higher, too."

Birdpaw flicked her tail toward a gnarled tree with thick branches that was situated a fair distance closer to the Starpool. "That'll do."

Dreampaw nodded, making her way forward by placing each paw down carefully on the forest floor. Birdpaw did the same behind her. Twice, one of them accidentally placed a paw on a brittle twig. Both froze, hoping fervently that no cat had heard them, but their luck held and they managed to make it unseen and unheard to the tree. In a few moments, both of them scaled it as well. They secured a perch in the crook of an enormous branch where they could easily see the Starpool but were hidden mostly from view by the foliage.

Dreampaw angled her ears towards the cats clustered on the edge of the Starpool. The soft but urgent whispers were drifting up to her and Birdpaw, and she could hear the conversation quite easily.

"...could be from anywhere," Dreampaw heard a cat meow. "Couldn't they?"

"How would they be able to come from the Clans?" another one added. "How is that even possible?"

"Well, we do communicate with medicine cats multiple times every moon," a voice said dryly. "And we all know that it's possible for a spirit to fade from a death blow from any cat from any realm. Even the mortal one."

"What about the Dark Forest?" another cat added. Dreampaw recognized the voice as Breezeheart's. "Is it possible for them to have found a way to breach the barrier?"

"I hope not. That would mean..." the voices lowered suddenly so that they were speaking in rushed whispers. Dreampaw strained her ears to try and hear, but she only caught fragments of the conversation.

"...worried if they have..."

"...new ways to use it..."

"...why do they..."

"...bindings not strong anymore..."

"Could the Day of Blackened Stars have anything to do with this?" some cat said loudly.

At the sound of the spoken words, Dreampaw heard Birdpaw take a short, sharp breath. She turned her head slightly to look at her companion, but Birdpaw did not move, save for her eyes, which darted from cat to cat as if searching for explanations.

A chorus of urgent hushing followed.

"Are you _crazy_?" Dreampaw heard Star hiss. "Keep your voice down!"

"You shouldn't be talking, you know," the cat retorted. "It's perfectly plausible that the killer was from here in StarClan, too, and for all we know, it could be you. You have a black-and-white pelt, after all. And Dreampaw never specified what pattern the markings were in."

"Silence!" Bluestar yowled from her place near the edge of the Starpool, before resuming her normal voice. "So the cat could be from anywhere. We've already established that. Now don't go accusing any cat of anything unless we're a little more sure of what's going on here!"

She dabbed her paw forcefully on the surface of the water, and all the cats turned to watch as the images shimmered and shifted and blended softly into each other.

First came an image of hills lit silver in the moonlight, and a glowing, radiant pool that closely resembled the Starpool.

_The Moonpool,_ Dreampaw thought. _I've seen that before._

She watched as in the image, a blur that somewhat resembled a cat settled down by the Moonpool. The Moonpool flashed a brilliant gold, and the image rippled and changed.

This new view was darker and duller, shrouded in thick gray mist. Dreampaw could vaguely see shadows moving around what seemed like a patch of muddy ground, before she realized that the surface was churning in a whirlpool, black stars caught in the frothing center.

The final scene that the Starpool showed was very familiar to Dreampaw. A blurred black-and-white cat bent over a much smaller, white one lying limp on the ground.

A lump rose in her throat as she realized that it was showing the moment Flowerkit had been killed, and she averted her gaze, instead staring intensely at her paws and trying to blink away the burning sensation in her eyes.

Birdpaw kept watching as the images on the Starpool's surface dissipated and the pool calmed again, glimmering with stars as usual.

The silence was shattered by Grassfeather's awkward mew in the front of the crowd. "That explains a lot. Sort of."

"I say we come back tomorrow and decide what we want to do. I'm not sure how much we can do, though. Our barriers are strong–they were meant to keep us away as well," Bluestar said. "At the very least, we need to try to extend our limits and learn to use more of the Starpool's power. We've been too safe up until now. We're going to need to unlock its full potential–it seems that the fate of the Clans is in the balance now."

"Fate of the Clans," Mossfire snorted from her spot in the shadows. "How many times have we heard that before?"

In spite of herself, Birdpaw let out an amused snort.

* * *

Once all the cats in the meeting had left the clearing again, the two eavesdroppers leaped neatly out of the tree and sat in the shelter of the ferns, gazing at the Starpool thoughtfully.

"What did you think of that?" Birdpaw asked.

Dreampaw shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, it's all gotta mean _some_thing, but I'm not sure what."

"I know what some of that stuff is, and if I understand correctly, it's really not good."

"Like what?"

Birdpaw sighed. "You saw that pool that looked like...like liquid darkness? With all the stars in it?"

Dreampaw nodded. "What is that?"

"That's the Pool of Shadows, or the Shadowpool, as some call it. You know how StarClan has a Starpool, and the Clans have a Moonpool? Well, the Dark Forest's equivalent is the Pool of Shadows. These pools are kind of like the connecting link between all three worlds. I heard from a few of the cats that have been around a really, really long time that sometimes a StarClan cat has to use the link to get into the Dark Forest and take care of matters there, like strengthening the protective barriers that the first leaders of the Clans cast. The barriers keep Dark Forest cats on their side of the border–"

"–and StarClan cats away from it," Dreampaw completed. "Oh, I get it. I suppose that a cat from the Clans could also use the link?"

Birdpaw grimaced at the ground. "Theoretically, it's possible, but so far as I know, the Clan cats aren't supposed to know anything besides the fact that during the half-moon, their Moonpool becomes a link to the Starpool and that's how we speak to them."

"Okay." Dreampaw was silent for a moment before piping up again. "What's the Day of Blackened Star?

Birdpaw suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Um...I'm not sure it's my place to tell you," she mumbled. "I'm not the right cat for that..."

Dreampaw shot her a death glare, but the other apprentice remained steadfast.

"Really, though!" Birdpaw protested. "Ask Mossfire or someone who knows the story better. Isn't she supposed to be your mentor who teaches you this kind of lore?"

Dreampaw scuffed a paw on the ground. "Well, yeah, but...fine. I'll ask her. So, do you want to go hunting later or something? I'm hungry."

Birdpaw purred. "Of course."

Dreampaw watched as her friend trotted off through the trees, pondering where Mossfire was.

"Why are you here?" came a low, amused voice from behind her.

Dreampaw whipped around sharply and saw Mossfire half-hidden in shadow, her orange eyes gleaming at the silver apprentice.

"Mossfire!" Dreampaw gasped. "Wow, you scared me. Can I ask you something?"

Mossfire shrugged. "Go ahead."

"What's the Day of Blackened Stars?"

Mossfire suddenly stiffened up. Her orange eyes lost their previous warmth and her voice turned frosty. "You were eavesdropping, weren't you?"

Dreampaw recoiled into the ground. "Uh...maybe...but I really want to know."

Mossfire laughed softly, though her voice was no warmer. "You've got a rebellious spirit. Fine, I'll tell you, but not here, and not now." She glanced furtively at the Starpool, and suddenly the stars swirling in its edges seemed nearly ominous.

"When?" Dreampaw asked eagerly.

"Soon," Mossfire answered, getting slowly to her paws. "Probably tomorrow. Go hunt with your friend, or whatever it is that you were planning to do."

Dreampaw complied, leaping to her feet and setting off. She was almost out of the clearing when she skidded to a halt and turned around. "Mossfire?"

"Yes?"

"What happens if you drink the water in the Starpool?"

Mossfire seemed to contemplate her answer for a moment before sharing it. "It varies, depending on what the cat who drinks it needs. Usually it unfogs the mind, makes you more alert, allows your thinking to be sharp and clear. I have found that it sometimes brings forth important memories that were buried deeper in the mind. It's rejuvenating, but too much changes how you see everything around you. The world becomes giddying and dreamlike until the effects wear off. Have some if you want, but don't take too much. I will see you later."

Mossfire vanished into the trees. Dreampaw stared after her for a single moment before tentatively lapping up a mouthful of Starpool water. It was as cool and clear as moonlight, yet it burned like hot sunshine. It was smooth and pure running down her throat, yet it seemed to sparkle in her mouth. Instantly, her vision sharpened, her mind became focused and alert, and a rush of energy surged through her from nose-tip to tail.

And a memory resurfaced in her mind: the omen that had come in her dreams when she was still a kit, the one that had so frightened her that she had pushed it out of conscious thought for moons. It forced itself into her thoughts now, shoved all other thought of the way, and insisted on being remembered.

_The shadows will rise, a star will fade into darkness, the cold, cold mist will twine both together. The moon will glow red with blood, the Clans will fall, three worlds will meld and form again as they were never meant to be. Only one has the eyes to see it, one of two worlds, the only savior of the Clans._

As the omen threaded through her thoughts, Dreampaw remembered the StarClan meeting and the scenes from each world that had been shown, and began to make a connection.

All she needed now was some more information–specifically, she needed to know what the Day of Blackened Stars was.

_Only one has the eyes to see it, one of two worlds, the only savior of the Clans._

Dreampaw came to a sudden realization.

_One of two worlds._

_The world of the dead and the world of the living, isn't it? That's me._

_The fate of the Clans is resting on me._

_Just great._

* * *

**Hope the chapter was good enough to meet your expectations. :3 Man, it feels good to write again.**

**So what are your thoughts about this?**

**Please review!**

**-Moongazer**


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